Historic 
chitecture 

for  the 

ome=Builder 


I 


Walter  J.  Keith 


r 


HISTORIC     ARCHITECTURE. 

for   the 

HOME,     BUILDER 

By    WALTER   J.    KE,ITH 

(illustrated) 


THE,    KEITH    CO..    Publishers 

Minneapolis,    Minn. 

1905 


BOOKS   BY   WALTER  J.    KE,ITH. 


HISTORIC    ARCHITE.CTURE.     FOR 
THE     HOME.      BUILDER. 

272    pages,    illustrated.     $2.00. 


KEITH'S    ARCHITECTURAL    STUDIES. 

In    14    Volumes.      Home,    Church.    School 

and   Store   Building  Plans. 

Each    $1.00. 


THE     BUILDING     OF     IT 

A  Book  on  Construction. 
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INSIDE      OUR      HOMES 

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THE     KE-ITH     PUBLISHING    CO 
Minneapolis,   Minn. 


Urban  PlanOlQl 
UbMiy 


'(Out  of  the  olb  ficlbca, 
OTontctlj  itl  tljia  nctw  coritc." 

— orhumin-. 


Copyright,    1904,  by  Walter  J.   Keith. 
All  Rights  Reserved. 


PRE.FACE. 

The  i)uri)Oso  of  iIk'  author  in  oflcrint;"  this  re- 
sume of  historic  architecture  to  the  pubHc,  is  not 
so  much  to  i)rcscnt  a  compenchum  of  facts  and 
theories,  as  to  awaken  an  interest  in  these  splencUd 
monuments  of  the  past  lor  tlieir  intrinsic  l)eauty 
and  vahte.  It  is  not  intended  here  to  expound 
the  principles  of  vauUs,  thrusts  and  pressure, 
nor  the  use  of  the  ihiuu;"  buttress.  All  this  is  in 
the  text  l)ooks  and  discussed  by  standard  au- 
thiiriiies.  Xor  is  a  minute  history  of  each  archi- 
tectural period,  with  the  ])art  jilayetl  by  this  or 
that  nation  in  its  development,  attempted.  Our 
I  Mil}-  aim  is  to  arrive  at  some  portion  ni  the  spirit 
and  meaning;-  oi  the  architectura.l  eftorts  of  the 
centuries,  antl  to  ];ercei\e  that  this  spirit  is  the 


quickening"  impulse  of  all  we  have  or  strive  for 
in  the  architecture  of  to-day. 

The  author  hopes  therefore  that  the  non-tech- 
nical outline  presented  will  prove  of  interest  to 
all  home-builders,  to  the  end  that  their  sympathy 
anil  enthusiasm,  awakened  by  the  beauty  and 
loveliness  of  these  ideals,  may  inspire  the  archi- 
tect to  his  best  endeavors. 

Such  a  condensed  view  of  so  extended  a  sub- 
ject would  be  imj)0ssible  except  for  the  assistance 
ol)tained  from  authors  who  have  treated  the  dif- 
ferent branches  of  it  exhaustively.  The  number 
and  variety  of  the  works  thus  consulted  make 
any  specific  acknowledgment  of  the  indebtedness 
of  this  volume,  other  than  this  general  one.  im- 
practicable. 

In  conclusion,  the  author  hopes  that  this  mod- 
est volume  may  open  to  the  reader  new  sources 
of  interest  and  pleasure,  in  tracing  the  connection 
Ijetwcen  the  buildings  of  to-day  and  the  historic 
architecture  of  the  past.  W.  J.  K. 

Alinneapolis,  Minn.,  Januar}-,  1905. 


CONTENTS 


Chap. 

I  Egyptian    Architecture       , 

II  Greek  

III  Roman  ..... 

IV  E,a.rly  Christian   and    Byzantine 
V  Romanesque  Architecture 

VI  Gothic  Architecture     . 

VII  Renaissance   Architecture 

VIII  English    Architecture 

IX  English   Domestic  Architecture 

X  Modern  Architecture 

XI  Modern   Domestic  Architecture 


Page 

3 

23 

41 

67 

81 

91 

122 

150 

174 

192 

208 


Part     I 

HISTORIC    ARCHITECTURE, 

Introduction 

The  arcliitcctnral  work  of  the  present  is  ever 
linked  to  that  of  the  past ;  and  because  of  this  we 
find  absorbing  interest  in  a  stud}-  of  those  glor- 
ious examples  which  have  come  down  to  us, 
whether  preserved  from  the  ravages  of  the  cen- 
turies or  restored  bv  the  skillful  anfl  enthusiastic 
architect  of  to-day  to  their  original  form. 

A  knowledge  of  the  history  of  architecture  is 
helpful  in  all  the  arts  of  modern  civilization,  for 
the  world's  progress  and  development  is  written 
in  ihc  architecture  of  the  nations. 

"To  luiild.  to  I)uild  ! 
That    is   the   nol)lest   art   of   all    the   arts." 

r.ut  the  art  of  architecture  is  as  far  above  mrre 

building  as  TTenr\-   Ir\in""s  actincf  of  Othello  is 


beyond  the  performance  of  a  local  stock  com- 
pany. For  merely  to  enclose  space  is  the  least 
function  of  architecture.  But  to  enclose  a  given 
space  so  that  the  various  divisions  of  it  shall  be 
arranged  to  best  meet  their  uses,  to  invest  the 
outer  walls  with  beauty  and  a  harmonious  dispo- 
sition of  parts,  to  add  to  this  appropriate  lines  and 
members  and  refined  decoration,  and  above  all 
that  artistic  feeling,  which  though  indescribable 
yet  pervades  true  architecture  like  the  perfume  of 
the  flower — these  are — faintly  indicated — the  fea- 
tures of  the  art  of  architecture. 

In  those  marvelous  creations  of  the  past,  in  the 
perfect  harmony  of  the  Grecian  temple,  in  those 
Gothic  towers  of  stone  and  light  lit  by  "vast  lan- 
terns of  delicate  tracery,"  we  find  the  most  won- 
derful of  man's  wonderful  inventions. 

And  while  we  enjoy  these  beautiful  ideals,  we 
may  also  glean  from  them  much  of  practical  ser- 
vice for  our  own  needs.  For  true  architecture 
concerns  itself  with  the  unpretentious  dwelling  of 
the  home  builder,  as  well  as  the  Grecian  temple 
or  the  glorious  ecclesiastical  cathedral. 


Sphinx     and     Pyramids 


EGYPTIAN   ARCHITECTURE 


It  is  a  far  cry  from  Cheops"  tomb  to  a  modern 
Twentieth  Century  home.  An  exhaustive  his- 
tory of  the  art  of  building  from  earhest  times 
would  be  wearisome  to  the  average  reader  and 
require  volumes.  In  a  resume  of  this  nature  it 
is  possible  to  touch  only  the  more  salient  points 
in  tracing  the  connecting  links. 

Of  prehistoric  architecture,  if  we  may  call  it 
by  that  name,  nothing  remains  to  tell  the  story ; 
nor  are  those  rudimentary  beginnings  of  man's 
first  efforts  to  provide  for  himself  shelter  and  a 
dwelling,  of  interest  except  to  the  scientist  and 
the  student. 

\\'e  will  begin  our  story  therefore  with  the 
earliest  records  of  architecture  worthy  the  name — ■ 
the  tombs  and  i)yramids  of  Egypt.  These  won- 
derful structures  were  not  the  work  of  primitive 


man.  but  of  a  nation  tar  advanced  in  civilization, 
and  with  a  constructive  knowledge  in  some  direc- 
tions which  is  unsurpassed  at  the  present  day. 
On  the  banks  of  the  Nile  still  are  standing  those 
colossal  structures,  though  "washed  by  the  pass- 
ing waves  of  humanity"  for  more  than  5.000 
years. 

Will  any  work  of  modern  architects  show  such 
endurance?  We  trow  not.  For  grandeur  and 
massiveness  the  Egyptian  monuments  have  never 
been  equalled  in  any  age  or  by  any  people.  The 
great  pyramid  of  Cheops,  the  oldest  of  the  pyra- 
mids, covered  an  area  of  13  acres,  twice  the  size 
of  St.  Paul's  at  Rome,  and  100,000  men  were 
twenty  years  in  building  it.  ]\Iarvellous  ingen- 
uit}-  is  displayed  in  solving  architectural  prol)- 
Icms ;  such  for  instance  as  strengthening  the  roof 
of  the  chambers  within,  so  as  to  withstand  the 
crushing  weight  of  the  mass  overhead.  ^lany 
of  the  blocks  of  stone  weigh  as  much  as  50  tons, 
yet  they  are  worked  into  place  with  the  greatest 
exactness.  The  polished  granite  slabs  that  line 
the  interior  are  so  perfectly  fitted  together  that 
the  joinings  are  imperceptible.  Egypt  has  well 
been  called  the  cradle  of  architecture,  and  the 
achievements  of  these  ancient  builders  continue 
to  interest  and  mystify  engineers  of  the  present 
day. 

How  they  were  able  to  quarry  those  immense 
granite  blocks  and  to  transport  them  to  great  dis- 
tances, how  they  raised  them  to  such  heights  as 
would  stump  our  engineers  with  their  best  tackle, 
how  they  contrived  to  cover  large  surfaces  of 
polishecl   granite,  that  most   stulibnrn  of  all  ma- 

4 


tcrials,  with  fissures  and  hicroi^lN  phics  of  the  most 
minute  "kind  and  highest  finish — furnish  inter- 
esting types  for  speculation.  With  the  best  morl- 
ern  tools  of  tempered  steel  it  is  difficult  and  costly 
to  carve  even  plain  letters  in  granite,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  imagine  how  they  accomplished 
these  delicate  carvings. 

Familiar  as  are  the  forms  of  the  Pyramids  and 
the  Sphinx,  they  form  a  group  which  is  always 
full  of  interest. 

The  Great  Sphinx  has  long  ranked  as  one  of 
the  wonders  of  the  world.  It  w^as  probably  built 
even  before  the  pyramids  that  f^ank  its  side^^. 
With  the  exception  of  the  paws,  which  are  of 
masonry,  and  the  small  temple  or  sanctuary  that 
was  built  between  them,  the  whole  gigantic  mon- 
tunent  is  carved  out  of  solid  rock.  A  drill  2"] 
feet  deep  has  been  passed  into  the  shoulder  and  it 
has  been  found  solid  to  that  distance.  The  height 
from  the  platform  or  base  to  the  top  of  the  head  is 
lOO  feet.  The  total  length  is  146  feet.  The  face 
of  this  gigantic  sculpture,  though  battered 
through  the  centuries  and  the  excavator's  pick, 
still  looks  out  over  the  valley  with  its  wonderful, 
awe-inspiring  smile. 

There  is  much  about  Egyptian  architecture  to 
interest  the  general  reader.  Its  character  was 
largely  influenced  by  the  religious  beliefs  of  the 
nation.  The  Egyptians  were  a  deeply  religious 
people,  with  a  firm  belief  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  bod}'.  Hence  their  custom  of  embalming,  and 
the  solidarity  and  strength  of  the  granite  struc- 
tures in  which  their  dead  were  deposited.  This 
desire  for  immortalit}"  expressed  itself  in  the 
5 


Sphinx  and  the  j^yrainids  and  i^ave  its  impress 
to  all  forms  of  Egyptian  ornamentation,  a  part  of 
the  suhect  we  shall  mention  later. 

The  Ee^yptian  columns  were  of  several  orders, 
in  their  later  development  from  the  first  square 
post  or  pillar  used  to  support  the  lintel  of  their 
tombs.  A  form  of  column  similar  to  the  Greek 
Doric,  wath  fluted  shaft,  tapering  outline  and 
square  abacus,  was  used  in  the  tombs  at  Karnac, 
but  they  made  little  progress  in  perfecting  its 
form.  Square  outlines  remained  the  character- 
istic of  their  work  and  were  never  softened  into 
rounded  or  arched  lines.  Their  neglect  of  the 
arch  is  a  curious  feature  of  Egyptian  builders, 
though  it  is  evident  they  were  familiar  with  its 
])rii.ciples,  as  is  shown  in  the  magnificent  brick 
vaulting  of  some  of  the  kings'  tombs  lately  ex- 
cavated. 

The  grandest  architectural  work  of  the  Egyp- 
tians is  in  their  built  temples,  ranging  in  an- 
tiquity from  about  2000  B.  C.  The  most  beau- 
tiful and  perfect  specimen  we  have  of  these, 
though  not  the  largest,  is  the  temple  at  Edfou  in 
upper  Egypt.  Though  small  compared  to  Karnac 
the  whole  edifice  covers  about  as  much  ground  as 
St.  Paul's,  London,  and  the  facade  measures  250 
feet,  70  feet  more  than  St.  Paul's.  Recent  exca- 
vations have  revealed  it  in  almost  its  original 
grandeur,  although, — "Whoever  enters  that  gate 
crosses  the  thrcshhold  of  the  past  and  leaves  two 
thousand  years  behind  him.  In  these  vast  courts 
and  storied  halls  all  is  unchanged.  Every  pave- 
ment, every  column,  every  stairway  is  in  its 
place."  Even  the  roof,  with  the  exception  of  a 
7 


few  stones,  is  perfect.  The  magnificent  pylon  in 
front  is  absolutely  perfect.  The  plane  of  the 
temple  displays  the  national  peculiarities.  The 
prand  form  of  the  propylea  in  front  shows  the  in- 
clined outline  which  pervaded  every  structure, 
and  between  them  the  doorway  or  grand  entrance 
to  the  columned  courts  within.  The  peculiarly 
Egyptian  type  of  architecture,  which  depends  for 
its  effect  upon  the  inherent  impressiveness  of 
outline  alone,  is  here  perfectly  illustrated.  The 
sculptured  enrichment  over  the  doorway  shows 
the  symbolic  form  of  vultures  wings  outstretched. 
The  covered  portico  within  the  entrance  measures 
1 10x44  feet  and  consists  of  three  rows  of  six  col- 
umns, each  34  feet  high,  and  opens  to  an  inner 
court  also  composed  of  rows  of  columns.  These 
columns  display  the  general  features  of  Egyptian 
columnar  composition.  They  are  perfectly  cylin- 
drical, have  no  fluting  but  a  series  of  grooves  and 
arc  inscribed  with  hireoglyphics.  The  principal 
ornamentation  of  the  capitals  consists  of  lotus 
flowers.  The  spaces  between  the  columns  are  en- 
riched with  exquisite  taste  in  a  simple  but  elegant 
lotus  motif.  The  entablature  of  the  portico^  con- 
sists of  an  architrave  and  a  coving,  which  is 
divided  into  spaces  by  vertical  flutes,  and  which 
has  been  thought  to  be  the  origin  of  the  Doric 
frieze.  The  spaced  compartments  between  the 
flutes  are  enriched  with  hieroglyphics,  except  in 
the  center,  where  a  winged  globe  is  sculptured. 
This  l)cautiful  example  of  Egyptian  architecture 
displays  its  principal  features ;  the  unbroken  con- 
tinuity of  outline,  the  pyramidal  tendency  of  com- 
position, tb.c  l)oldncss  and  breadth  of  every  part, 
8 


and  the  simplicity  ami  dignity  of  the  enrichment. 
]\lorc  impressive  still  in  its  immensity  is  the 
wonderful  temple  of  Karnac.  Like  the  mediaeval 
cathedrals  of  Europe  this  temple  was  the  work 
of  successive  kings,  and  the  inscriptions  that 
cover  its  walls  are  the  sources  of  histor}'  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  people.  The  immensity  of  this 
temple  can  be  realized  by  comparing  with  St. 
Peter's  at  Rome,  which  covers  only  half  as  much 
ground.  Its  Ilypostile  Hall,  familiar  to  all  trav- 
elers in  Egypt,  is  the  most  wonderful  apartment 
in  the  world.  In  length  it  is  340  feet  and  width 
170.  its  massive  roof  carried  by  16  rows  of  col- 
umns, 9  in  each  row  and  43  feet  high,  the  shafts 
of  the  two  central  rows  rising  to  the  lofty  alti- 
tude of  62  feet  and  carrying  capitals  which  meas- 
ure 22  feet  across.  So  vivid  a  description  of  this 
wonderful  structure  is  given  by  Ferguson,  that  it 
is  here  reproduced.  "Xo  words,"  he  writes,  "can 
convey  an  idea  of  its  beauty,  and  no  artist  has 
yet  been  able  to  reproduce  its  form  so  as  to  con- 
vey to  those  who  have  not  seen  it  an  idea  of  its 
grandeur.  The  mass  of  its  central  piers,  illum- 
ined by  a  flood  of  light  from  the  clerestory  and 
the  smaller  pillars  of  the  wings  gradually  fading 
into  obscurity,  are  so  arranged  and  lighted  as  to 
convey  an  idea  of  infinite  space ;  at  the  same  time 
the  beauty  and  massiveness  of  the  forms  ami  the 
brilliancy  of  their  colored  decorations,  all  com- 
bine to  stamp  this  as  the  greatest  of  man's  archi- 
tectural works,  but  such  an  one  as  it  would  be 
impossible  to  reproduce  except  in  such  a  climate 
and  in  that  individual  stxle  in  which  and  for 
which  it  was  created." 


Columns    of    E-gyptian    Temple    at    Karnac 


The  columns  of  this  trciiieiulous  portal  cast  a 
shadow  twelve  feet  in  hreadth,  such  as  a  tower 
might  cast,  and  are  crowned  hy  cajntals  which 
might  support  the  heavens.  The  capitals  arc 
carved  lotus  flowers  full  blown,  and  it  would  re- 
quire a  hundred  feet  of  tape  line  to  measure 
around  the  curving  petals  of  those  stupendous 
lilies.  They  still  glow  with  color  laid  on  four 
thousand  years  ago,  color  as  fresh  as  if  put  on 
yesterday. 

It  is  indeed  a  i)lace  too  wonderful  for  words. 
So  vast,  so  awe-inspiring,  that  no  words  can  con- 
vey an  idea  of  it. 

Karnac  the  wonderful,  Karnac  the  magnifi- 
cent!  There  is  indeed  no  building  in  the  world 
to  compare  with  it.  "The  Pyramids  are  more 
stupendous,  the  Coliseum  covers  even  more 
ground,  the  Parthenon  is  more  beautiful ;  yet  in 
nobility  of  conception,  in  vastness  of  detail,  in 
artistic  beauty  of  the  highest  order,  the  Hall  of 
Pillars  exceeds  them  every  one." 

We  have  noted  that  the  Egyptians  were  the 
originators  of  the  column,  and  this  temple,  as 
well  as  their  later  ones,  show  how  important  a 
feature  it  became.  Its  usefulness  in  conveying 
a  feeling  of  mystery  and  awe  in  addition  to  the 
constructive  effect,  was  early  recognized  by  them 
and  later  by  all  cathedral  builders.  The  chief 
forms  of  capitals  they  used  were  the  bell-shaped — 
the  clustered  lotus  bud  and  the  palm  cai)ital. 
The  bundles  of  reeds  tightly  bound  together 
ami  plastered  with  nuid,  which  may  be  seen  at  the 
present  day  in  use  as  columns  in  Egyptian  build- 
ings, were  undoubtedly  the  origin  of  the  clustered 
11 


and  banded  lotus  column,  and  were  probalily 
copied  first  in  wood  and  then  in  stone.  So  beau- 
tiful a  motif  appealed  to  the  Grecian  architect, 
who  elaborated  it  into  the  flowing  lines  of  their 
fluted  shafts. 

Some  mention  must  be  made  of  the  Egyptian 
obelisks,  which  were  mostly  monoliths  of  red 
granite,  the  face  of  the  stone  highly  polished  and 
covered  with  carvings.  The  Roman  emperors 
transported  many  of  these  across  the  sea  and 
set  them  up  at  Rome,  and  it  is  of  course  well 
known  that  one  of  the  finest  of  these  obelisks, 
Cleopatra's  Needle,  graces  our  own  Central  Park 
in  New  York. 

These  slender  shafts,  eight  and  even  twelve 
times  the  diameter  of  their  base  in  height,  were 
set  in  front  of  everv  great  Egyptian  temple,  their 
tapering  forms  rising  against  the  deep  blue  of  the 
Egyptian  sky  and  casting  long  shadows  across 
the  white  sand  of  the  pavement. 

Color  was  a  chief  resource  of  the  Egyptian 
builder,  who  used  it  in  profusion  upon  the  walls 
and  columns  of  his  structures.  In  the  dim  light 
of  the  tem])le  interiors,  carving  and  mouldings 
• — which  they  scarce  employed  at  all — were  at  a 
<lisadvantage.  Hence  brilliant  coloring  was  re- 
sorted to  for  decoration.  The  Egyptian  colorist 
used  the  primary  colors  in  all  their  intensity.  The 
atmosphere  of  the  dry  climate  and  the  color- 
destroying  quality  of  intense  sunlight,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  modified  this  intensity  and  brought 
into  harmony  the  vivid  blues  and  scarlets  that 
would  l)e  intolerable  in  tbe  norlb. 

In  their  decorations  tbeir  religious  beliefs  were 

12 


expressed,  and  their  symbolism  was  of  a  lii,L;Ii 
order.  It  subordinated  the  physical  to  the  ideal, 
and  their  ornaments,  whether  deHcate  or  gro- 
tesque, express  sentiments  purely  spiritual. 

The  Lotus,  or  Lily  of  the  Nile,  was  their  favor- 
ite illustration  of  divine  energy  in  the  resurrec- 
tion ;  and  the  vulture,  the  emblem  of  the  soul 
triumphant  in  death,  embodied  the  idea  of  the 
vulture's  power  to  create  living  substances  out  of 
dead  and  decomposed  matter.  A'ultures  were 
frequently  embalmed  with  the  l)odies  of  dead 
kings  and  with  equal  solicitude.  The  long  wings 
of  the  vulture  enclosing  the  body  adapt  it  effec- 
tually to  decorative  art,  and  it  is  the  first  example 
of  the  wing  decoration  so  profuselv  used  upon 
Egyptian  temples.  Other  frequently  recurring 
emblems  were  the  winged  globe  or  Good  Demon, 
and  the  Scarab^us  or  beetle. 

The  wealth  of  ornament  and  decoration  lav- 
ished upon  every  Egyptian  building  can  only  be 
touclied  upon  here.  Every  surface  was  a  field  for 
decoration  and  their  wonderful  skill  in  the  use  of 
gorgeous  color,  the  motifs  of  their  decorative  de- 
tail which  they  drew  from  nature,  the  play  of 
light  and  shade  from  the  overhanging  cornice'and 
slopmg  walls,  ever  continue  to  interest  the  archi- 
tectural student.  Xor  have  they  ever  been 
equalled  for  grandeur  of  conception,  dignity  and 
massiveness. 


13 


i?djm.^M^ 


Winged  Griffin     Assyrian  Wall  Decoratioi 


ASSYRIAN    ARCHITE^CTURE, 


Ass\rian  architecture,  though  next  in  point  of 
antiquity  to  the  Egyptian,  has  few  points  of  re- 
semblance. They  made  little  use  of  the  column, 
which  occupied  so  important  a  place  with  the 
Egyptians.  Their  halls  showed  none  of  those 
columnar  forests,  no  grand  pylons,  no  cloistered 
court,  and  they  used  sun-dried  brick  in  place  of 
the  huge  stone  blocks  of  the  Egyptian.  Their 
si)hynx  is  the  winged  bull,  which  guarded  the 
portals  of  the  palaces.  These  human-headed 
animals  with  the  body  and  legs  of  a  bull,  with 
enormous  wings  projecting  from  the  shoulders, 
stood  in  i)airs  on  each  side  of  the  doorways  of 

14 


palaces,  which  it  is  thought  liad  no  doors  or  lin- 
tels hut  were  open  to  the  roof  and  protected  by 
curtains.  Some  of  these  figures  were  20  feet 
high  and  had  delicately  carved  grarlands  of  leaves 
and  roses  encircHng  their  heads.  The  illustra- 
tion shows  an  ancient  Assyrian  wall  of  sun- 
dried  brick  with  sculptured  bull.  How  they  ac- 
complished these  reliefs  on  such  a  surface  is  still 
a  matter  of  si)ecuIation,  as  nothing  remains  but 
fragments.  There  are,  however,  enough  of  these 
to  show  that  ancient  Assyrian  art  attained  a  high 
degree  of  refinement. 

The  plans  of  Assyrian  buildings  differed  from 
the  Egyptian  in  the  immensely  greater  length  of 
their  rectangles.  Eastern  architects  used  this 
rectangular  outline  to  a  great  extent,  and  gave 
grace  and  beauty  bv  carrying  up  a  minaret  or  a 
dome,  an  octagon  or  a  circle  from  an  ordinary 
square  hall.  These  excavated  sculptures  show 
that  this  was  sometimes  done  by  the  ancient 
Assyrian  builders.  The  sculptured  slabs  which 
lined  the  lower  walls  of  their  palaces  are  all  that 
are  left  of  them ;  but  these  tell  us  much.  They 
even  tell  us  that  the  private  houses  were  several 
stories  high,  the  ground  floor  only  having  a  door. 
The  roofs  were  flat  and  fire-proof,  thick  layers 
of  earth  on  strong  beams,  and  on  one  of  the 
sculptured  slabs  which  represents  a  town  on  fire, 
the  flames  are  stopped  by  the  roofs  and  are  forced 
out  of  the  windows.  These  sculptured  slabs  are 
so  numerous  that  in  one  ])lace  alone  there  are 
over  two  miles  in  length  of  them.  They  represent 
in  low  relief  the  national  history  and  domestic 
life  of  the  people. 

15 


Bull    Capital.     Palace    of    Artaxerces 


PERSIAN 

Of  ancient  Persian  art  or  architecture  we  know- 
little.  That  it  was  developed  at  the  same  time 
as  the  (Irecian  we  know,  but  on  utterly  unlike 
lines,  Thoui^h  the  remains  of  their  edifices  are 
columnar  in  form,  they  bear  no  resemblance  to 
the  Greek  temples,  and  their  capitals  are  crowned 
by  the  human-headed  Assyrian  bull,  instead  of 
the  refined  forms  of  the  Greeks.  There  are  ruins 
of  one  or  two  palaces,  from  one  of  which  has 
been  copied  the  illustration,  showing  the  double 
bull's  heads  with  the  singular  volutes  beneath. 
The  little  we  know  of  their  architecture  shows  a 
style  unlike  any  other,  though  with  a  certain 
grandeur,  as  indicated  by  the  design  of  their  col- 
unms  and  their  gigantic  size,  the  capital  alone 
from  which  the  illustration  is  taken  being  28  feet 
high. 

INDIAN  ARCHITECTURE, 

The  ancient  architecture  of  East  India  has  little 
interest  for  the  western  mind.  The  peculiar  and 
fantastic  forms  of  their  pagodas  and  temples 
seem  to  have  no  foundation  in  true  principles  of 
art,  and  their  decorations,  though  profuse,  are 
unmeaning  and  grotesque. 

In  some  districts,  however,  recent  investiga- 
tions disclose  architectural  remains  of  more  dig- 
nity and  character.  Some  of  these  are  illustrated 
in  the  photograph  shown,  taken  from  a  model 
of  an  ancient  temple  in  Camboja,  India,  which 
was  exposed  at  the  Paris  World's  Fair  in   igoo. 

The  picture  affords  us  a  strange  peep  into  a 
civilization  now  in  the  profoundest  decay,  the 
17 


tcmpk-  bcin_<4'  supposed  lo  be  about  50  A.  D., 
wlien  Camboja  enjoxed  a  period  of  threat  splen- 
dor. 

Inside  the  temple  are  .grouped  reproductions 
of  the  most  precious  specimens  of  Hindoo  sculp- 
ture and  architectural  decoration.  In  the  center, 
the  sacred  le.qenclary  lion  stands  on  a  pedestal 
l)et\vecn  two  massive  and  richly  decorated  pillars, 
which  are  extremely  interesting  as  displaying  a 
Roman-Doric  character,  as  also  the  ovolo  mold- 
ings of  the  beautiful  cornice.  Leaving  to  archae- 
ologists the  discussion  of  their  origin,  the  great 
beauty  and  dignity  of  this  ancient  temple  appears 
to  fully  justify  the  extravagant  accounts  of  some 
travelers,  and  may  easily  be  classed  as  one  of  the 
most  extraordinarv  architectural  relics  in  the 
world. 

The  later  architecture  of  India  possesses  some 
very  beautiful  examples  of  pure  eastern  art,  per- 
haps the  most  noted  being  the  exquisite  Taj 
Mahal  at  Ogra,  India,  so  often  described  by 
travelers,  a  composition  showing  strong  Sara- 
cenic influence,  being  an  extension  of  the  ^Moorish 
type  of  architecture  into  the  southern  Orient. 
Xo  photograph  can  do  justice  to  the  white  beauty 
01  the  marble  structure  standing  upon  a  platform 
of  white  marl)le  and  crowned  by  its  matchless 
dome,  "bathed  in  wondrous  light,  such  as  might 
dwell   in    the  windings  of  a  pearl   shell." 

At  each  corner  of  the  marble  platform  rise 
dainty  marble  minarets,  each  composed  of  four 
marble  C(^lumns,  which  complete  the  simj^le 
beauty  of  this  architectural  pearl.  Beneath  the 
marble  dome  rests  the  tomb,  enclosed  by  an  ex- 

19 


quisite  screen  of  trellis-work  in  white  marble,  a 
masterpiece  of  the  Indian  artist.  The  only  light 
admitted  to  the  enclosure  comes  though  the  inter- 
stices of  the  marble  trellis-work,  producing  a  soft 
and  chastened  gloom  inexpressibly  impressive. 

The  architectural  details  of  this  graceful  sep- 
ulchre are  enriched  with  precious  stones,  agate, 
bloodstone,  jasper,  etc.,  used  with  a  taste  and 
judgment  almost  equal  to  the  design  itself. 

Xear  the  Taj  ]\Iahal  is  the  Motf  Masjid,  or 
Pearl  Mosque,  the  most  elegant  mosque  of  India. 
The  court  yard  is  of  white  marble  and  the  mosque 
proper  is  entirely  of  white  marble  inside  and  out. 
except  for  a  frieze  bearing  an  inscription  inlaid 
in  black  marble,  from  the  Koran — the  sole  orna- 
ment, beside  the  exquisite  lines  of  the  structure 
itself. 


^^ 


20 


'Greeia  ^Architecture  is 
the  flowering  of  geometry." 

— Emerson 


21 


Vm  ,y. 


mmmmmmmmrrrfffffmmmmmmm'f'f'^f^ 


wmijm^mmmmmm^mminTm^umnT 


*5^      'y"'i 


I 


Mausoleum    at    Halicarnassus 


2 

GREEK    ARCHITECTURE 

From  the  dim  and  m_\stcrious  twilight  which 
envelops  the  strong  but  primitive  architectural 
conceptions  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  to  the  re- 
fined and  KSthetic  construction  of  the  Greeks,  is  a 
long  step  in  history.  For  the  Parthenon,  that 
glorious  building  which  is  the  familiar  example 
and  exponent  of  classic  Greek  architecture,  was 
built  less  than  2,500  years  ago.  Nor  have  we  now 
so  much  of  the  original  structure  standing  to  tell 
the  story  of  its  own  beaut}-,  as  can  be  seen  of  the 
great  Egyptian  temple  at  Karnac  of  a  date  two 
thousand  years  earlier.  How  long  this  master- 
I)iece  of  Greek  art  might  have  defied  Time's 
spoiling  alone,  we  cannot  tell,  for  the  more  brutal 
and  savage  hand  of  man  destroyed  it.  For  two 
thousand  years  the  Parthenon  preserved  most 
of  its  original  glory,  at  least  its  outlines,  but  in 
168-  it  was  rent  asunder  by  an  exploding  bomb, 
and  is  now  but  a  ruin.     Fortunately,  before  its 

23 


destruction,  drawings  of  most  of  the  difit'erent 
details  had  been  made,  so  that  we  have  in  the 
]  resent  a  complete  knowledge  of  this  masterpiece 
of  the  past — ''That  mingles  Grecian  grandeur 
witli  the  rude  wasting-  of  old  Time." 

All  architecture  may  be  resolved  into  the  two 
primary  constructive  methods  of  inclosing  space, 
viz.,  the  lintel  and  the  arch. 

The  straight  beam  or  lintel  across  supporting 
columns  was  the  earliest  and  simplest  method  of 
l)uilding.  the  method  used  by  the  Egyptian  baild- 
crs.  The  stablitiy  of  the  lintel  type  appealed  to 
them,  was  adopted  hv  the  Greeks  and  blossomed 
into  the  classic  beaut\-  of  the  Grecian  temples.  The 
Greeks  took  from  the  Egyptians  the  main  fea- 
tures of  construction,  but  expressed  them  in 
terms  of  beauty  rather  than  grandeur,  and  in 
exquisite  refinement  of  detail.  The  sculptural 
perfection  which  is  so  marked  a  feature  of  Greek 
architecture  was  in  part  the  expression  of  the 
national  love  of  physical  perfection,  a  national 
ideal  so  strong'  as  to  be  part  of  their  religion.  The 
Greek  shrine  or  temple  was  the  setting-  for  these 
wonderful  sculptured  statues,  and  was  itself 
adorned  with  sculptural  details  of  idealized 
beauty.  Xor  is  the  harmony  and  proportion  of 
the  classic  style  altogether  an  inherent  part  of  the 
st\le  itself,  for  we  too  often  see  sad  abuses 
of  it ;  the  taste  and  judgment  of  the  skilled  archi- 
tect are  needed  to  determine  the  proportions  of 
the  columns  and  of  the  entablature,  in  order  to 
secure  liarmonv  nf  composition. 

The  Greek  architect  lai:l  stress  on  columns  an  1 
horizontal  lines,  and  obtained  from  his  admirable 

24 


arrangement  of  them,  together  with  the  hreadth, 
fitness  and  bt^lchiess  of  everv  part,  those  pecuhar 
qualities  of  sini])Hcity  and  harmony  which  are 
the  distinguishing  features  of  Greek  architecture. 
His  judicious  arrangement  of  moldings  to  pro- 
duce effects  of  light  and  shade,  heightened  by  the 
fluting  of  the  columns  and  the  peculiar  forms 
of  the  columnar  capitals,  were  only  second  to  the 
graceful  and  elegant  outlines  of  the  structures 
which  are  such  wonderful  compositions  of  beauty 
and  harmon}-. 

The  most  important  feature  of  Greek  archi- 
tecture is  the  use  of  the  three  principal  orders — ■ 
the  Doric,  Ionic  and  Corinthian,  with  the  differ- 
ent capitals  and  moldings  pertaining  to  each. 

The  Doric  was  the  earlier,  and  was  no  doubt 
suggested  to  the  fertile  imagination  of  the  Greek 
by  Egyptian  edifices  and  use  of  columns.  The 
Doric  column  was  a  tapering  shaft  divided  gen- 
erally into  twenty  flutes,  and  crowned  with  a 
simjile  capital  which  supported  a  broad,  square 
abacus  that  projected  a  deep  shadow  on  the 
moldings  below. 

The  entablature  is  supported  by  these  columns 
and  a  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Doric  order 
is  the  trigl_\])h  or  vertically  channeled  plate  which 
divides  the  frieze  of  the  entablature  and  forms 
sunken  panels  to  receive  sculptured  ornament. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Doric  order  are  dig- 
nit\-  and  strength,  imitating,  says  the  ancient 
architect  \'itruvius,  "the  naked  simplicity  and 
dignity  of  the  man."  while  the  Corinthian  order 
imitates  "the  dclicac}-  and  the  ornaments  of  a 
woman." 

25 


Temple    of    Neptune    at    Paestum 


For  all  the  higher  architectural  effects,  the 
Doric  order,  though  wanting  the  grace  and  deli- 
cacy of  the  later  Ionic  and  Corinthian  orders,  is 
perhaps  unrivalled.  It  is  evident  Alilton  held  it 
most  impressive,  for  in  his  description  of  the 
building  of  Pandemonium,  the  marvelous  city 
created  by  Satan  out  of  a  hill  of  gold,  which  he 
exhausts  even  his  wonderful  vocabulary  in  de- 
scribing, he  speaks  of  the  "Doric  pillars  overlaid 
with  golden  architrave." 

The  best  preserved  example  of  ancient  Greek 
Doric,  on  the  wdiole,  that  remains  to  us,  is  the 
temple  of  Xeptune  at  Paestum,  which  is  supposed 
to  date  at  least  500  B.  C.  The  earlier  Doric  col- 
mnns  were  much  more  massive  than  later  ex- 
amples like  the  Parthenon,  and  in  this  temple 
they  have  a  diameter  of  6  feet  10  inches  at  the 
base,  but  tapering  markedly  at  the  top.  The  col- 
umns have  each  twenty-four  flutes,  and  are 
crowned  by  deeply  projecting  cajMtals,  which  su])- 

26 


port  a  massive  enlaljlaiurc.  This  entablature, 
though  massive,  is  well  upborne  by  the  columns, 
which  rest  on  a  horizontal  and  spreading  base- 
ment, for  the  fitness  and  proportion  of  every 
part  was  the  crowning  quality  of  Greek  archi- 
tecture. 

The  temple  was  constructed  of  a  coarse,  cal- 
careous stone  from  the  neighboring  hillside,  but 
completely  covered  both  inside  and  out  with  a 
fine,  hard  stucco,  formed  of  lime  and  pounded 
white  marble,  which  took  a  high  polish  and  was 
not  distinguishable  from  real  marble.  \'eneer 
construction  was,  however,  not  characteristic 
of  the  Greeks,  though  much  in  use  by  the  Roman 
builders.  The  Greek  architecture,  with  its  pure 
and  severe  outlines,  did  not  invite  shams  or  pre- 
tense. And  this  temple  is  almost  the  only  in- 
stance where  the  construction  was  not  solid.  The 
work  was,  however,  of  a  high  order,  and  the 
glistening  marble  surface  relieved  by  color  decor- 
ation and  carving  as  in  all  Greek  temples. 

The  Theseum,  as  it  stands  today  on  the  Acro- 
polis at  Athens,  is  a  conspicuous  example  of 
Greek  Doric  architecture  modified  by  Byzantine 
influence.  The  temple  in  fact  for  many  years 
in  Byzantine  times  served  as  a  Christian 
church,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a  museum  for 
antiquities.  The  Theseum  was  built  of  Pentelic 
marble,  which  now  has  taken  on  a  golden  brown 
hue  from  centuries  of  exposure  to  the  elements, 
the  date  of  its  erection  being  fixed  at  500  B.  C. 
The  coft'ered  marble  ceiling  still  survives,  and  the 
temple  is  probably  the  best  preserved  example  of 
ancient  Greek  architecture. 

27 


^^'itllOut  the  abundant  quarries  of  fine  white 
marble  that  were  stored  in  every  Attic  hillside, 
the  wonderful  sculptures  of  those  columned  tem- 
ples would  prol)ably  never  have  been  attempted. 

The  Parthenon — that  exponent  of  architectural 
perfection — was  built  from  th-e  finest  marble, 
quarried  near  Athens.  It  represents  the  highest 
expression  of  Greek  art,  and  displayed  every 
refinement  known  to  the  Greek  architect.  The 
Parthenon,  literally  interpreted,  means  "maiden's 
chamber,"  and  was  the  stately  shrine  for  the 
colossal  statue  of  the  goddess  Athene,  forty  feet 
hiigh  and  made  of  carved  ivory  and  gold.  This 
statue  was  the  work  of  the  matchless  sculptor 
Phidias,  as  also  many  of  the  sculptures  of  the 
building.  The  temple  itself  was  built  of  marble, 
and  raised  on  a  foundation  platform.  The  dis- 
tance from  the  platform  to  the  point  of  the  gable 
was  but  sixty  feet,  yet  it  is  considered  the  most 
exquisitely  proportioned  building  in  the  world. 

The  long,  low,  sloping  roof  was  an  architec- 
tural result  of  climatic  conditions.  No  steep, 
storm-shedding  roof  was  needed  in  that  sunny 
isle 

"Where  the  winds  of  the  north  becalmed  in  sleep, 
Their  conch  shells  never  blow." 

and  the  projecting  cornice  was  all  that  was 
needed  as  a  shield  from  the  weather  for  the  beau- 
tiful frieze  below. 

The  gable  ends — the  pediments — were  filled 
with  sculptured  reliefs,  and  the  frieze  referred  to 
continued  around  the  columned  arcade.  The 
building  was  profusely  decorated  with  color  and 
gold  ornaments,  used  to  rclirve  the  too  dazzling 

28 


M'WMiMM 


Temple    of    Theseus     Athens 


whiteness  of  the  marble  in  that  brilHant  sunshine. 
Color  indeed  was  a  feature  of  the  Greek  temple 
whose  exterior  as  well  as  interior  decorations 
were  rich  with  color,  while  the  walls  and  col- 
umns were  toned  down  to  a  yellowish  ivory  like 
the  softening  tint  that  time  gives. 

With  this  slight  general  outline  of  the  edifice, 
we  may  proceed  to  examine  the  different  features, 
for  in  the  Parthenon  we  have  the  noblest  example 
of  Greek  classic  architecture  of  the  Doric  order. 
The  long,  unbroken  lines  of  the  columns  rise 
directly  from  the  stone  platform  without  a  base, 
and  taper  toward  the  top — not  in  a  straight  line 
but  with  a  slight,  subtle  curve  or  swelling  of  out- 
line, which  was  one  of  the  refinements  of  Greek 
architects,  and  used  to  counteract  the  tendency 
of  a  long,  perfectly  straight  column  to  look  hol- 
low in  the  middle.     This  curve  created  an  optical 

29 


illusion,  being  too  slight  to  be  noticeable  to  the 
eye,  varying  only  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  a 
height  of  thirty-two  feet.  Another  device  of 
these  ancient  architects  was  to  remedy  the  ap- 
])earance  of  a  "sag,"  or  droop  in  the  center  of  a 
long,  horizontal  line,  by  slightly  curving  upwards 
the  architrave,  or  beam  across  the  top  of  the  col- 
umns— towards  the  center,  so  that  it  appears  to 
be  perfectly  straight,  while  in  reality  curving 
tipwards  to  the  extent  of  three  inches.  Another 
subtle  correction  was  applied  to  the  setting  of  the 
columns,  because  vertical  lines  have  an  apparent 
tendency  to  "spread"  or  diverge  at  the  top.  So 
the  columns  are  set  with  an  inclination  inward, 
so  slight  that  the  eye  does  not  detect  it,  but 
an  effect  is  given  of  perfect  repose.  All  these 
refinements  of  construction  are  made  use  of  by 
the  modern  architect  of  culture,  who  bestows  care 
and  thought  upon  his  designs. 

The  tapering  fluted  shafts  were  crowned  with 
capitals  of  simple  beauty,  beneath  a  broad,  square 
abacus  which  threw  a  deep  shadow  on  the  col- 
umn below.  This  play  of  light  and  shade,  and 
the  deep  shadows  cast  by  the  insulated  columns, 
is  one  of  the  enchanting  effects  of  Greek  ar- 
chitecture. 

Above  the  plain  architrave,  or  supporting  mem- 
ber of  the  entablature,  ran  the  frieze,  in  the 
Doric  order,  divided  into  square  panels  separated 
by  slightly  projecting  blocks  which  were  grooved. 
These  blocks  occurred  over  each  colunm  and  once 
between,  and  this  regularity  of  repeat  is  a  feature 
of  classic  design.  The  spaces  between  the  blocks 
or  "triglyphs,"  were  filled  with  sculptured  reliefs. 

30 


The  celebrated  frieze  of  the  PartlTenon  is  a  band 
of  reHef  four  feet  in  width  around  the  temple, 
within  the  colonnade.  The  sculptures  upon  it 
represented  the  processional  in  the  "rand  festival 
of  the  goddess  Athena,  whose  temple  and  shrine 
the  Parthenon  was.     At  this  festival  was  yearly 


Parthenon  — Restored 


presented  to  the  goddess  a  new  robe,  woven  by 
the  most  skillful  high-born  ladies  and  carried  by 
the  noblest  daughters  of  Athens.  In  the  proces- 
sion were  all  the  statesmen  and  generals,  the 
crowned  victors  of  the  sports,  the  chariots  and 
sacrifices,  the  flower  of  Athens,  on  horses  with 
brilliant  trappings.  All  these  were  reproduced 
in  this  beautiful  frieze,  which  told  the  story  of 
the  great  festival  in  honor  of  its  goddess  in  the 
wonderful  bas-reliefs  sculptured  upon  it. 

Above  the  frieze  is  the  cornice,  the  lower  por- 
tion carried  along  horizontallv  o\er  the  frieze 
while  the  upfier  meniluTs  f(^ll(^w  the  sloping  lines 

31 


of  the  roof;  the  triangular  <.\rdcv  thus  enclosed  is 
called  the  pediment,  and  this  pediment  is  a  very 
telling  architectural  form  for  which  we  are  in- 
debted entirely  to  the  Greeks.  Xo  suggestion  of 
it  is  found  in  Egyptian  architecture,  but  it  is  the 
crowning  feature  of  every  Greek  temple.  Like 
many  other  things  which  seem  so  simple  after 
they  have  been  done,  it  has  been  incorporated  in 
much  of  our  modern  architecture,  and  resulted  in 
the  grand  gables  of  our  Gothic  architecture.  The 
pediment  of  the  Greek  temples  was  a  leading  ar- 
chitectural feature,  and  contained  the  finest 
sculi)tures.  It  has  been  said  that  "to  stud}-  the 
execution  of  the  Parthenon  pediments,  is  the  lib- 
eral education  of  artists ;  to  imitate  it,  the  despair 
of  sculptors." 

These  sculptures  were  the  work  of  Phidias 
himself,  among  them  the  noble  statue  of  the  re- 
clining Theseus.  With  other  of  these  fine  sculp- 
tures this  statue  belongs  to  the  Elgin  collection 
in  the  British  Museum.  The  back  of  the  Theseus 
has  been  called  the  finest  tiling  in  the  world,  and 
serves  to  show  the  surpassing  excellence  and 
relip-ious  care,  of  Greek  workmanshij:) ;  for  the 
statue  was  fifty  feet  above  the  ground,  and  more- 
over its  back  was  turned  towards  the  wall,  where 
no  one  could  possibh-  see  it,  and  serves  to  exem- 
])lif\-    ihe    painstaking    lal)or    of    those    workers. 

\vhen  ..r      1       11        1  £      . 

in  the  elder  days  ot  art 

Ikiilders  wrought  with    greatest  care 

Each  minute  and  unseen  part." 

Another  fine  example  of  the  Doric  order  of 
Greek  architecture  is  shown  in  the  temple  of 
Theseus,  at  Athens  the  Theseus  whose  sculptured 

33 


back  was  so  fine.  Here  the  shafis  are  slender 
and  the  molding  refined.  The  leadini;"  features 
are  similar  to  the  Parthenon  ;  indeed,  although 
great  stress  is  laid  upon  the  different  "orders"  of 
Greek  architecture,  and  the  correct  carrying  out 
of  the  detail  belonging  to  each,  there  was  but  this 
one  main  t\pe — that  of  the  pedimcnted  temple 
with  its  colonnade.  This  form  was  worked  out 
by  the  Greeks  in  a  manner  never  surpassed,  and 
the  details  with  which  they  adorned  the  form 
have  a  perennial  charm  from  their  chaste  and 
exquisite  beauty. 

Besides  these  three  principal  species  of  col- 
umnar arrangement,  the  Greeks  emplo\"ed  anoth- 
er, in  w'hich  the  statues  of  women  took  the  place 
of  columns.  These  columnar  figures  were  called 
Caryatides,  and  the  onl}'  existing  example  is  the 
ruined  south  portico  of  the  Erectheion  at  Athens, 
here  finely  photographed. 

This  famous  Caryatidean  portico  was  a  pro- 
jecting wing  of  the  principal  Ionic  structure  and 
shows  square  plinths  supporting  six  majestically 
draped,  female  figures  upon  which  rest  the  en- 
tablature. 

The  Erectheion  appears  to  have  been  designed 
as  a  foil  to  the  stern  severity  of  the  Parthenon 
which  it  faced,  for  the  east  facade  of  this  triple 
temple  is  extremely  light  and  graceful  in  char- 
acter, showing  oriental  influence  in  the  decora- 
tions within  the  portico.  Rising  on  the  brow  of 
the  Acropolis, 

"where  in  Legend  tinted  line 
The  peaks  of  Hellas  drink  the  morning's  wine." 
with    its    delicate    Tonic    c<^lumns    terminating    in 
35 


"golden  curls,"  oriental  fret  work  and  brilliant 
frescoes,  it  presented  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
stern  beauty  of  its  vis-a-vis,  the  Parthenon.  The 
temple  was  built  entirely  of  white  Pcntelic  mar- 
ble, except  the  frieze,  which  was  of  black  marble. 
At  the  left  we  have  a  glimpse  of  the  Caryatidean 
portico  as  restored. 

The  Erectheion,  while  very  beautiful  in  itself, 
is  an  exception  to  all  rules,  and  forms  altogether 
one  of  the  most  heterogeneous  compositions  to  be 
found  in  ancient  architecture.  The  modern 
church  of  St.  Paucias,  London,  is  a  modified  copy 
of  the  Erectheion. 

The  Doric  order  of  structure  gradually  devel- 
oped the  more  delicate  type  of  the  Ionic  and  Cor- 
inthian styles,  in  which  appeared  the  added  fea- 
tures of  a  happily  designed  base  to  the  column, 
the  carved  moldings  of  the  entablature  and  the 
beautifully  designed  and  ornamented  capitals  of 
the  columns.  The  Ionic  capital  is  richer  and  more 
elaborate,  terminating  on  each  side  in  a  feature 
like  a  scroll  called  the  'Tonic  volute."  The  col- 
umn is  more  slender  and  more  deeply  fluted  ;  the 
frieze  has  no  separating  triglyphs,  but  is  either 
plain  or  enriched  with  an  uninterrupted  design 
carved  in  relief.  The  projecting  cornice  was 
treated  with  "dentils,"  a  detail  in  common  use  in 
all  modern  design.  The  general  characteristics 
of  this  order  appear  in  fact  frequently  in  present 
day  architecture,  and  one  sees  the  interesting 
capitals  and  flutes  everywhere,  even  in  the  detail 
of  furniture  design. 

The  most  notable  examples  of  Greek  Ionic  are 
th.e  temples  of  Wingless   \"ictory  and   the   Ercc- 

36 


tlicion  at  Athens.  The  hitter  has  already  been 
alluded  to  as  refined  in  composition,  thoui,di 
showings  much  variet}'  of  detail  and  considerable 
irrecjularit}-  of  plan. 

Althoui^h  in  Egypt  the  grandest  structures 
next  to  their  mighty  temples  are  the  tombs,  in 
Greek  architecture  these  are  of  little  interest. 
Quite  the  finest  among  them  was  the  tomb  of 
Mansolus  at  Ilalicarnassus,  from  which  our  word 
"mausoleum"  is  derived.  It  consisted  of  a  lofty 
base,  on  which  stood  an  oblong  Ionic  edifice  sur- 
rounded by  36  columns,  and  surmounted  by  a 
pyramid  of  24  steps.  The  whole  structure,  140 
feet  in  height,  was  crowned  by  a  chariot  group 
in  white  marble.  Up  to  the  tenth  century  this 
edifice  was  in  perfect  condition,  but  was  then 
destroyed  and  is  here  conjecturally  restored. 

The  Corinthian  capital,  or  third  order,  was  the 
creation  of  the  later  period  of  Greek  architecture. 
The  bell-shaped  capital  was  surrounded  by  two 
rows  of  acanthus  foliage,  which  developed  into 
spiral  volutes  at  the  angles,  and  combined  to  form 
an  exquisite  decoration.  The  honeysuckle  was 
another  favorite  form  of  the  foliated  capital.  An 
example  of  round  foliated  capital — less  common 
than  the  square — is  given  in  the  bcautifrd  little 
structure  called  the  Choragic  monument  of  Lvsi- 
crates,  at  Athens,  which  has  been  restored,  and  is 
the  onl\-  example  of  this  i>ure  Grecian  order  re- 
maining. In  those  capitals  one-third  of  the  space 
is  occupied  ])y  calicos  and  tendrils  sui:)porting  a 
honeysuckle  against  the  abacus.  This  small 
structure  is  considered  (ine  of  the  most  lx>au- 
tifnl  compositions  in  its  style  ever  executed, 
37 


t 


1 


^<ir> 


,^^ 


e     %    4    «    i  t  ( 


Choragic    Monument    of    Lysicrates 


The  bold  and  simple  base,  admiral )l_v  propor- 
tioned to  the  rest  of  the  structnre,  the  col- 
umnar ordinance,  the  richly  ornamented  dome, 
are  all  arranged  with  the  most  exriuisite  harmony 
of  composition.  It  is  simple  without  being:  poor, 
and  rich  without  being  meretricious. 

In  nothing  is  Greek  architecture  more  distin- 
guished than  in  the  beauty  and  grace  of  its  mold- 
ings and  ornaments.  The  general  outline  of  the 
moldings  is  curved  and  flowing,  the  Hogarthian 
line  of  beauty,  in  effect,  though  of  Greek  mold- 
ings Hogarth  could  have  known  nothing.  Th.e 
familiar  egg  and  dart  molding  comes  to  us  from 
the  ancient  Greeks.  A  technical  description  of 
these  features  does  not  lie  within  the  scope  of  the 
present  work,  which  aims  more  to  present  the 
general  composition  of  the  historic  style,  as  the 
foundation  underlying  all  our  modern  architec- 
ture. 

The  domestic  architecture  of  ancient  Greece 
would  be  a  most  interesting  study  if  we  had  any 
data  on  the  subject.  I'ut  unfortunately  no  re- 
mains of  their  domestic  structures  exist,  and  our 
(inl\-  knowledge  of  them  is  derived  from  the 
allusions  of  contemporar}-  writers.  It  is  probable 
they  were  modeled  after  the  fashion  of  the  houses 
excavated  at  Pompeii,  a  city  largely  influenced 
by  Greek  ideas,  though  probably  the  Greek  house 
was  less  luxurious.  That  it  was  characterized 
by  the  same  beauty  of  form  and  perfection  of 
finish  wdiich  pervaded  not  only  their  public  build- 
ings, but  even  their  implements  of  war  and  arti- 
cles of  domestic  use.  seems  a  forecrone  conclusion. 


39 


"While  fancy  brings  the  banished  piles  to  VieW. 
And  builds  imaginart;  Rome  aneW." 


40 


ROMAN     ARCHITECTURE 

In  tracini^  the  architectural  development  of  the 
Roman  people,  withotit  going  back  to  the  early 
Etruscan  period  of  which  hut  few  records  remain, 
it  is  well  to  consider  the  character  of  the  nation 
and  the  contrast  between  its  civilization  and  that 
of  the  Greeks.  For  although  Roman  architecture 
was,  speaking  broadly,  the  architecture  of  the 
Greeks,  the  former  was  practised  by  a  strong  and 
virile  race,  and  into  it  was  grafted  a  new  con- 
structional principle — the  principle  of  the  arch. 

The  Roman  was  practical,  hard  headed,  ambi- 
tious. W  ith  conquest  had  come  great  wealth 
and  power.  He  developed  a  great  love  for 
luxury,  pomp  and  show.  With  none  of  the 
esthetic  Greek's  love  of  beauty  for  itself  alone, 
he  imported  Greek  architects  to  design  for 
l.im.  just  as  he  gathered  spoil  of  every  sort 
from  all  the  world.  Xeithcr  did  the  religion  of 
the  Roman  exert  any  decided  influence  over  his 
architecture  as  in  the  case  of  Egypt,  for  he  was 
not  religious.  He  had  his  gods  it  is  true,  and 
oflfered  them  pcrfunctorv  honors  and  sacrifices, 

41 


Mt  ^l 


but  even  tlie  tcniiik's  appear  to  liave  been  utilized 
for  other  purposes  than  that  of  worship.  The 
pubHc  Hfe  of  the  Roman  centered  in  the  great 
l)aths,  the  tlieaters,  in  the  lofty  basilicas  where 
public  business  was  transacted  and  which  after- 
ward were  remodeled  into  the  churches  of  the 
early   Christians. 

Rome  was  a  great  commercial  center  and  re- 
quired large  and  lofty  buildings.  It  was  the 
demand  for  vast  structures  adapted  to  the  busi- 
ness and  pleasures  of  a  commercial  and  amuse- 
ment-loving people  that  evoked  the  arch,  the  vault 
and  the  dome.  A  great  area  is  not  easih'  covered 
by  the  horizontal  beam  and  the  column.  The 
great  temples  of  the  Egyptians  were  forests  of 
columns  and  divided  into  comparatively  small 
compartments.  Immense  concourses  of  people 
could  not  assemble  in  such  an  interior,  and  so  the 
flat  lintel  of  the  Greek  temple  was  superseded 
l)v  the  Roman  arch.  Temples,  palaces,  amphi- 
theatres, basilicas,  rose  at  the  bidding  of  great 
wealth,  and  were  made  possible  by  this  new  con- 
structive invention,  which  moreover  enabled  the 
builders  to  utilize  inferior  material.  Almost  all 
these  vast  theaters,  l)aths,  acqueducts  and  palaces 
were  built  of  brick,  though  man}-  were  faced  with 
stone  or  marble  and  have  marble  porticos  and 
columns.  They  also  made  great  use  of  stucco  as 
a  surface  for  decoration.  In  short,  they  built 
for  utility  and  for  show,  caring  little  for  artistic 
feeling,  though  excelling  in  the  practical  inven- 
tions and  possessing  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
construction,  as  attested  bv  their  great  acque- 
ducts. roads  and  theaters  still  in  existence. 

43 


TixC  building  materials  of  the  Romans  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  employed  them  are  very  in- 
teresting-. At  first  the  volcanic  conglomerate  of 
ashes,  sand  and  charcoal  called  "tufa,"  was  used 
for  the  main  walls,  while  at  points  of  pressure, 
such  as  piers  or  arches,  the  harder  "pepperino" 
was  inserted.  The  Colosseum  is  a  particularly 
elaborate  example  of  this  mixed  construction. 
Some  of  the  volcanic  products  which  lie  in  im- 
mense beds  under  and  around  the  city  of  Rome 
when  mixed  with  lime  form  a  very  strong  hy- 
draulic cement  of  enormous  resistance  and  dura- 
bility, in  many  cases  exceeding  the  most  massive 
stone  masonry. 

Although  the  Roman  builders  used  blocks  of 
stone  in  their  walls,  sometimes  as  much  as  8x15 
feet  in  size,  they  fastened  them  together  bv  iron 
clamps,  onl\-  setting  them  in  cement  to  obtain  a 
smooth  and  level  surface.  The  concrete  material 
so  much  employed  in  their  construction  was  ex- 
tremely hard  and  durable,  and  faced  above  the 
foundation  walls  with  brick  or  marble,  or  stucco. 
"When  stucco  was  used,  they  studded  the  face 
of  the  wall  before  the  concrete  was  hard, 
with  iron  or  bronze  nails,  to  give  a  hold  for 
the  stucco.  The  marble  slabs  used  in  such 
profusion  as  linings  to  walls  were  fixed  to 
them  by  long  clamps  of  metal  hooked  at  the  ends, 
so  as  to  hold  in  a  hole  made  in  the  marble  slab. 
The  quantit}-  nf  rich  marl'ks  brought  into  Rome 
from  Greece  and  other  countries  is  beyond  cal- 
culation, so  lavishly  were  buildings  enriched  with 
them.  T'lnormous  (|U'nUilies  of  Lib\-ian  mari)le, 
of  a  rich  yellow  color  deepening  to  orange,  and 

44 


Circular   Temple    of    Vesta 

even  pink,  were  used  tor  wall-linings  and  columns 
and  even  pavements.  Six  large  columns  of  the 
Pantheon  are  of  this  marble.  Another  variety 
was  blood  red  in  color,  and  employed  on  small 
cornices  antl  interior  moldings.  There  were 
many  varieties  of  mottled  marble,  and  some  ba\- 
ing  wavy  stratas,  of  while  and  pale  green.  A 
seri-transparent  and  beautifully  marked  oriental 
alabaster,  very  hard,  was  used  in  enriching  the 
baths  and  elsewhere.  It  was  the  boast  of  Au- 
gustus indeed  that  be  "found  Rome  brick  and 
left  it  marble." 


45 


With  this  glance  at  Roman  character  and 
materials,  let  us  return  to  the  earlier  period  when 
Greek  influence  dominated  construction.  That 
the  Greek  temple  type  prevailed  extensively  in 
early  Roman  architecture  is  attested  by  the  many 
ruins  scattered  throughout  Italy  and  other  por- 
tions of  the  Roman  empire.  One  of  the  most  in- 
teresting of  these  is  the  little  circular  temple  of 
Vesta  at  Tivoli,  the  circular,  inner  cell  sur- 
rounded by  an  outer  circle  of  beautiful  Corin- 
thian columns,  each  32  feet  in  height,  the  circle 
being  156  feet  in  circumference. 

The  classic  roof  of  this  temple,  originally  cov- 
ered with  Syracusan  bronze,  is  long  since  gone 
and  has  been  replaced  by  a  wretchedly  incongru- 
ous one  of  red  tile.  Xo  shrine  in  Rome  was  so 
sacred  as  this  little  circular  building  which  con- 
tained the  sacred  fire  that  if  allowed  to  go  out 
would  have  endangered  the  existence  of  the  city 
itself. 

The  original  temple  was  destroyed  about  500 
B.  C.,  and  has  been  conjecturally  restored  from 
the  columns,  cornice  sections  and  other  fragments 
of  the  architectural  features  found  in  the  exca- 
vated Forum. 

Near  the  temple  itself  stood  the  house  of  the 
vestals,  containing  beside  the  three  chambers  for 
the  six  vestals,  a  bath-room,  bake-house  and 
servants'  offices.  The  rooms  proper  and  the  bath 
are  lined  with  polished  marble  of  great  beauty 
and  rarity  and  the  floors  are  of  tesselated  mosaic 
of  porphyry  and  marble,  showing  in  many  places 
the  clumsy  patchings  of  restorations  in  the  fourth 
and  fifth  centuries. 

46 


Corinthian    Capital.       Temple    of    Mars 


The  excavations  of  recent  years  have  laid  bare 
the  remains  of  this  very  interesting  building, 
Avhich  appear  in  an  unusual  state  of  preservation 
in  spite  of  the  erection  of  later  buildings  over 
tlieni.  The  concrete  walls  were  faced  with  brick 
and  decorated  with  colored  stucco;  the  columns 
were  also  stuccoed  and  colored  crimson,  while 
the  stone  gutters  along  the  roof  were  bright  blue. 
The  inner  walls  were  paneled  and  decorated  in 
simjile  designs  of  leaves  and  wreaths.  Though 
the  last  vestal  disappeared  in  the  fourth  century, 
tliis  building  continued  to  be  occupied  for  sev- 
eral hundred  }ears  later,  but  was  finallv  blocked 
up  and  buried  under  the  accunuilated  rubbish  of 
Rome's  many  conlkigrations. 

The  illustrations  show  ilir  temple  of  \'esta  as 

47 


restored,  and  a  restored  capital  of  a  column  of 
Mars.    These  temples  were  situated  on  the  Capi- 
tolinc   Hill,   that  mass  of  architectural   magnifi- 
cence gathered  from  the  spoils  of  the  whole  Hel- 
lenic world.     The  i)hotograph  is  a  fine  example 
and  gives  us  a  very  clear  idea  of  the  beautiful 
Roman     Corinthian    capital    crowning    columns 
having    twenty-four    semi-circular    fiutes.       The 
capital  is  composed  of    two    rows    of    acanthus 
leaves,  each  row  consisting  of  eight  leaves  ranged 
side   by   side,   but    not   in   contact,   with   tendrils 
and  foliage.     The  abacus  has  molded  faces  and  is 
enriched  with  a  rosette  or  flower  in  the  center  of 
each  face  overhanging  tlie  tendrils  of  the  capital. 
Unlike  the  Greek  Doric  and  Ionic  each  example 
of  the   Roman    Corinthian   is   a   law  unto   it.self, 
and  dififers  from  every  other  in  the  distribution 
of  its    various    parts.       Besides    the   Corintliian 
pro])er,   the    Romans    used   many   other   varieties 
based   upon    that    order;   one    called     the    Com- 
posite   appearing    frequently    in    their    triumphal 
arches.     They  had  still  others,  in   which  human 
figures   and   animals,    with    a    variety    of    foliage 
and    other   peculiarities    were   introduced.       The 
Corinthian   was   the    favorite   order   of   the    Ro- 
mans   who   cared    little    for   the    simple    severity 
of  the  Doric,  and  preferred  the  richer  ornamen- 
tation of  the  Corinthian. 

The  photograph  shows  the  beautiful  tem])!e 
of  Wmius  and  Rome,  as  conjecturally  restored 
from  fragments  remaining  of  the  cornice  and 
columns  and  descriptions  of  contemi)orane<ms 
writers.  The  temple  was  originally  planned  bv 
the  Emperor  Hadrian,  tliat  ancient  (Hlettantc  and 

49 


connoisseur  in  fine  arts.  He  showed  his  design 
\.itli  proud  satisfaction  to  Apollodorus  the  archi- 
tect of  Trajan's  Forum,  who  remarked  that  "the 
deities,  if  they  rose  from  their  seats  must  thrust 
their  heads  through  the  ceihng."  We  can  im- 
agine what  happened  to  Apollodorus. 

This  magnificent  temple  400x200  feet  was 
built  of  brick  with  columns  of  gray  granite,  and 
richly   embellished    wdth    statuary   and    carvings. 

In  front  of  it  stood  the  colossal  bronze  statue 
of  Nero,  its  head  surrounded  by  rays  that  it 
might  represent  Apollo.  It  required  forty-two 
elephants  to  move  this  colossal  statue  to  another 
position. 

The  most  splendid  of  the  temples  of  old 
Rome,  and  indeed  the  only  structure  which 
has  come  down  to  us  in  a  fairly  perfect  state  of 
preservation,  is  the  Pantheon,  that  model  of  an- 
cient architectural  beauty,  wdiich  even  now  ex- 
cites the  admiration  of  every  beholder.  The  Pan- 
theon presents  more  characteristic  features  of  the 
ancient  Roman  style,  than  any  other  one  building, 
and  its  interior  is  called  by  Ferguson  one  of  the 
sublimest  in  the  world.  Its  immense  circular 
window  at  the  top,  some  30  feet  in  diameter,  "that 
one  great  eye  opening  upon  heaven"  says  the 
same  authority,  "is  by  far  the  noblest  conception 
for  lighting  a  building  to  be  found  in  Europe." 
The  structure  was  built  of  concrete  covered  with 
brick  and  then  veneered  with  marble.  Many 
theories  have  been  advanced  as  to  the  part  played 
bv  these  tiers  of  brick  arches,  l)ut  the  thickness 
of  the  concrete — 20  feet,  while  the  brick  facing 
scarcely  averages  6  inches — seems  to  show  their 
50 


The     Pc.ntheon.       Rome 


superficial  character.  As  tlic  concrete  itself 
formed  an  excellent  surface  for  the  marble 
veneer,  it  is  difficult  to  see  why  the  brick  was 
employed.  The  bricks  were  triangular  in  shape, 
and  the  Pantheon  is  the  earliest  instance  of  the 
use  of  burnt  ])ricks.  which  before  this  were  sun- 
dried.     This  ancient  temple  whose 

"Arch   and   vault     without     stain    or    fault,    by 

hands  of 
Craftsmen  we  know  not.  reared." 

is  a  perfect  type  of  Roman  architecture.  The 
great  dome,  rising  with  majestic  dignity  from  the 
circular  wall,  crowns  a  rotunda  142  feet  in  diam- 
eter and  143  feet  high.  Though  the  same  size 
as  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's,  it  appears  of  vaster 
proportions.  Against  the  circular  wall  is  built 
an  immense  portico  with  a  front  of  over  100  feet, 
51 


supported  by  16  Corinthian  jjillars  of  red  granite 
with  inarbk'  cajjitals  36  feet  high,  and  a  pedi- 
ment above  ornamented  b}-  glorious  bas-reliefs. 

The  i)ortico  with  its  beautiful  vista  of  white 
marble  i)ilasters  formed  a  vestibule  and  was  ap- 
proached b}'  a  flight  of  six  marble  steps.  Within 
the  portico  were  immense  doors  of  solid  Ijronze 
which  still  remain,  and  wb.ich  opened  to  an  in- 
terior whose  sides  gleamed  with  polished  mar- 
bles and  whose  roof  glittered  with  sculptured 
sih'cr  and  bronze. 

All  around  the  interior,  in  the  recessed  panels 
where  once  were  beautifid  marble  statues,  are 
now  the  tawdry  ornaments  and  gilded,  paste- 
board figures  of  the  Papal  church ;  rust  and 
grime  have  dimmed  the  precious  marbles  on  the 
walls ;  the  gleaming  vault  above  has  been 
stripped  and  plastered  and  daubed,  vet  it  is  still 
the  most  beautiful  of  pagan  temples. 

"Here    underneath    the    great    porch   of   colossal 

Corinthian  columns. 
Here  as  I  walk,  do  I  re-people  thy  niches,     *     * 
\\'ith    the    mightier    forms    of   an    older,    aus- 
terer  worship." 

The  ruined  Colosseum  has  been  the  theme  of 
many  a  traveler  and  poet.  ] doubtless  the  re- 
mains of  this  vast  theater — the  largest  ever 
erected — are  impressive,  es])eciall\'  if  the  imagin- 
ation be  stimulated  by  a  moonlight  view.  But 
the  great  stone  circle  w-as  remarkable  as  a  con- 
structive achievement  rather  than  for  beauty 
even  in  the  days  of  its  ancient  magnificence.  A 
curious  feature  of  the  construction  of  this  vast 
amphitheater  is  seen  in  the  remains  of  the  walls, 
which  are  honeycombed  with  large  earthen  iars, 

53 


t 


t 


^IMIIWW— W— P" 


i: 

"i 
—  • 

t^  1 

^■^-\ 

">• 

-     r.  :  :  > 

Arch    of    Titus,    as    Conjecturally    Restored 

inserted  in  tlie  conerete  mass  of  brick  and  mor- 
tar and  evidently  used  as  a  sort  of  arches,  per- 
haps to  economize  material. 

Between  80,000  antl  90,000  people  could 
gather  within  that  immense  inclosure,  to  witness 
the  games  and  spectacles  demanded  by  the  pleas- 
ure loving  populace. 

54 


The  Colosseum,  though  showing  the  free  use 
of  the  column  in  its  construction,  which  consists 
of  arches  with  decorative  columns  of  all  three 
orders  in  the  successive  tiers,  has  little  of  interest 
architecturally,  except  its  immensity.  The  ex- 
terior, with  its  endless  repetition  of  arches  and 
useless  columns  is  inonotonous ;  and  the  canvas 
roof  could  have  had  no  heauty. 

The  ruined  arches  of  the  Roman  Aqueduct, 
which  once  stretched  from  the  cool  fountains  nf 
the  Sabine  hills  to  the  great,  teeming  city,  are 
also  monuments  of  con-structive  energy  which 
even  in  their  ruins  excite  our  astonishment. 
Though  they  do  not  rise  to  the  level  of  archi- 
tectural beauty,  their  immense  length  and  size 
and  the  obstacles  surmounted  in  their  construc- 
tion give  them  interest  aside  from  their  pictur- 
esque quality.  The  most  famous  of  these  aque- 
ducts was  62  miles  long,  twice  the  length  of  our 
famous  Croton  aqueduct  in  Xew  York,  and  in 
places  the  arches  rose  to  a  height  of  180  feet, 
and  had  a  span  of  75  feet. 

At  regular  intervals,  reservoirs  were  l)uilt  to 
enable  repairs  to  be  made  at  any  point,  the  walls 
covered  with  a  cement  so  hard  as  to  resist  any 
tool. 

Triumphal  arches  in  commemoration  of  Ro- 
man victories,  were  a  striking  feature  of  their 
architecture.  As  late  as  the  second  century,  A.  D., 
there  were  about  forty  of  these  structures  in 
Rome.  Restored  by  Pope  Pius  \TI  to  almost 
its  pristine  elegance,  the  Arch  of  Titus  is  one 
of  the  best  known  of  these  magnificent  relics  of 
Rome's  luxury,  power  and  art.  and  one  of  the 
55 


most  beautiful.  Upon  its  white  marble  pillars 
are  represented  in  bas-reliefs  the  conquerin^c^ 
emperor  in  his  chariot,  bringing  home  to  Rome 
the  costly  spoils  from  the  conquered  Jerusalem, 
borne  by  slaves  and  soldiers.  A  superb  spectacle 
the  old  Roman  Forum  surely  presented,  filled 
with  these  triuni],hal  arches,  statues,  and  beauti- 
ful temples,  when 

"The  Forum,   all   alive. 

With  l)uyers  and  sellers, 
Was   humming  like  a  hive.'' 

Until  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  the 
site  of  the  old  Trojan  Forum  was  buried  twenty 
feet  deep  under  the  rubbish  of  the  adjacent  hills. 
Only  an  occasional  column  projecting  beyond  the 
surface  gave  indication  of  what  might  be  be- 
neath. It  was  in  fact  a  grazing  ground  for  cat- 
tle and  called  the  Campo  \'eccino — cow  pasture. 
A  space  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  square  is  now 
excavated,  and  most  of  the  public  buildings  com- 
prising the  Forum  have  been  located.  The  A'ia 
Sacra,  which  led  from  the  Fortun,  was  bor- 
dered all  the  way  by  handsome  temples  and  pub- 
lic buildings,  whose  ruins  now  resemble  city 
blocks  after  a  great  fire.  The  \^ia  Sacra  passed 
imdcr  the  Arch  of  Titus  with  its  famous  sculp- 
tures, showing  a  procession  of  captive  Jews  with 
the  table  of  shew-bread.  trumpets  and  seven- 
branched  candlesticks.  s]:)oils  of  the  great  Tem- 
ple of  Jerusalem. 

Fron>  all  the  hills  around,  handsome  structures 

looked  down   upon   this    ancient    Forum    in    its 

jirime.     Rut   Rome   outgrew  it :   and  other   fora 

were   added   by   successive   emperors,   and   these 

57 


in  turn  buried.  The  i-rieze  shown  is  from  the 
famous  Forum  of  the  emperor  Trajan,  enriched 
with  exquisite  sculptures  in  relief  depictin-  his 
victories.  '"" 

Only  a  brief  reference  can   be  made  to  what 
was  at  one  period  a  conspicuous  feature  of  Ro- 
man arcliitecture— its  ma-nificent  baths.     These 
^•ast    structures,    comprised    public    and    private 
baths  of  all  kinds  as  well  as  rooms  for  refresh- 
ments,     libraries,,     lecture     rooms,     amusement 
rooms,  gardens  and  fountains,  and  were  fitted  up 
with  more  luxury  and  lavish  adornment  than  the 
most  luxurious  of  modern  clubs.    Thev  appear  to 
lave  been  built  by  the  different  emperors  to  currv 
favor  with  the  people,  as  the  price  of  all  this  lux- 
ury was  the  smallest  coin  of  the  realm.     Thou-h 
only  roofless  ruins  are  left  of  these  vast  stnrc- 
tures.-great  fragments  of  arches  and  walls  and 
ofty  shattered  ceilings,-one  mav  still  define  the 
long  halls  and  apartments  and  see  patches  of  the 
elegant  mosaic   floors  with  beautiful   designs   in 
color  wrought  into  them.     Some  of  the  splendid 
marbles,   vases  and  great  porphvrv  tubs  of  the 
private  baths,  with  portions  of  the  carvings  and 
frescoes   that  enriched   these  baths,  are  now   in 
the  \  atican  at  Rome.     A  restored  section  of  the 
baths  of  Titus  is  shown  in  the  illustration    oiv- 
mg  the  detail  of  the  facade  facing  the  Colosseum 
lie    mam    walls   consisted   of   red   and   orange- 
colored  brick  work.     The  columned  arcade  with 
recessed   niches   filled   with    statuarv  and   stucco 
decoration  above  the  arcade,  made 'an  extremelv 
brilliant  and  decorative  facade. 

These  immense  buildings  covered  sites  a  qtiar- 


so 


tor  of  a  mile  s(|uar(.',  and  une,  we  are  told,  en- 
closed an  open  swimming  bath  in  which  a  thou- 
sand people  could  bathe  at  once.  The  hot  baths 
were  heated  by  a  S}'stcm  of  pipes  or  flues  lead- 
ing from  furnace  vaults  beneath. 

The  interesting  ruins  knowai  as  the  Palace  of 
the  Cresars,  are  upon  the  very  foundation  and 
site  of  the  city  of  Romulus  and  Remus,  and  far 
down  beneath  them  are  the  enormous  blocks  of 
masonry  of  the  old  Roman  wall,  built  of  lava 
rock,  portions  of  which  have  been  excavated. 

The  photograph  shows  a  portion  of  the  palace 
conjecturally  restored,  from  descriptions  of 
Tacitus  and  other  historians. 

The  wonderful,  excavated  streets  of  Pompeii 
tell  us  most  that  is  known  of  old  Roman  house- 
hold architecture.  The  Roman  house  consisted 
of  two  parts ;  the  public  part  or  rooms  facing  the 
street  used  as  shops,  and  the  quite  separate  rooms 
for  the  family  life,  oi)ening  ujion  an  inner  court. 

In  the  private  portion  in  wealth}-  houses,  the 
large  inner  court  was  uncovered  in  the  center, 
while  the  roof  of  the  "peristylium"  around  the 
sides  was  supported  by  columns  of  the  finest  mar- 
ble. The  perist\le.  now  coming  to  be  such  a 
feature  of  modern  houses  is  derived  from  these 
ancient  Roman  ones,  but  adapted  to  our  use. 
Leading  off  from  this  ]XTist}lium,  was  the  din- 
ing room,  an  iiiiportatit  room  to  the  old  Roman, 
who  was  apt  to  have  two  or  three,  so  that  he 
could  suit  his  view  to  the  season  or  his  temper. 

What  records  exist  of  their  house  architecture 
appear  to  show  that  little  attempt  at  exterior  ef- 
fect   was    mack'    and    e\er\-    thin-^-    lavished    u\mm\ 

61 


interior  adornments.  Tlie  exterior  walls  were 
plain, generally  of  brick — even  the  columns,  which 
were  covered  with  a  coat  of  stucco.  Even  the 
villa  of  Hadrian,  which  is  the  most  extensive 
Roman  house  having  any  considerable  remains, 
notwithstanding  its  size  and  general  magnifi- 
cence, has  no  indication  of  windows  or  of  stairs, 
and  the  moldings  and  ornaments  are  small  and 
insignificant.  The  mural  decorations  of  the  in- 
teriors of  the  better  class  w-ere,  however,  very 
beautiful,  and  were  of  a  high  degree  of  artistic 
excellence.  In  the  humbler  houses  the  walls  w'ere 
simply  painted  flat  in  one  color,  but  in  the  more 
pretentious,  the  wall-spaces  were  divided  into 
panels  by  painted  columns,  and  the  panels  fres- 
coed with  graceful  and  highly  finished  human 
figures,  landscapes  of  arabesques.  The  walls  of 
Pompey's  house  were  painted  to  look  like  a  for- 
est with  trees  and  birds,  a  style  of  decoration 
we  have  seen  imitated  to  a  degree  in  modern 
houses.  Frequently  the  plinth  or  lower  portion 
of  the  wall  was  painted  black  or  very  dark,  and 
above  this  a  deep  red  or  blue  or  yellow.  So  that 
our  modern  decorators  with  their  decorative 
"upper  thirds"  their  panels  and  divided  walls 
are  only  proving  once  more  that  there  is  nothing 
new  under  the  sun.  lUit  although  ancient  Ro- 
man houses  were  ])rofusely  adorned  with  paint- 
ings and  statuary,  busts,  vases,  candelaljra  in 
bronze,  marble  and  gold,  though  the  floors  were 
of  exquisite  mosaic  work,  and  their  columned 
courts  musical  with  the  plash  of  fountains  and 
the  songs  of  birds — yet  we  would  think  little  of 
them,  with  our  modern  ideas  of  comfort.  Xot 
63 


only  had  they  no  doors, — only  archways  some- 
times curtained, — but  no  windows  except  occa- 
sionally small  slits  in  the  upper  story,  and  their 
mosaic  floors  were  cold. 

Even  in  that  land  of  the  fig  and  the  olive,  of 
vineyards  ripening  in  the  sun  and 

"Tuscan  trees  that  spring 

As  vital  flames  into  the  blue." 

the  Roman  householder — for  all  his  frescoes, 
must  have  been  a — cold.  Such  furniture  as  they 
had,  was  mostly  of  bronze  or  marble.  The  an- 
cient historian  Pliny,  mentions  the  dining  room 
of  an  old  Roman  villa,  as  having  an  alcove  of 
white  marble  pillars  shaded  by  vines,  and  fur- 
nished with  marble  benches  and  "a  marble  basin 
or  fountain  which  served  as  a  table,  the  larger 
dishes  being  disposed  around  the  edge,  while  the 
smaller  swim  about  in  the  form  of  vessels,  or 
little  water  fowl." 

The  abundance  of  easy  building  material  ready 
to  the  hand  of  the  ancient  Roman  builder  was 
not  an  unmixed  blessing.  It  produced  a  crude 
masonry,  which  though  standing  like  a  rock,  was 
unpleasing  to  the  eye,  and  so  necessitated  the 
make-believe  of  veneer. 

Their  architecture  became  debased,  a  hetero- 
genous mixture  of  the  Greek  classic  orders  with 
Tuscan  traditions.  They  transferred  the  Grecian 
columns  and  capitals  to  their  brick  and  stucco 
buildings  without  preserving  their  purity. 

One  exception  may  be  made,  in  the  case  of  the 

Corinthian    capital,    which   in   Rome   assumed   a 

new  and  not  less  beautiful   form  and  character, 

imparting   such   variety   to    its    enrichment    that 

64 


Frieze    of    Trajan's    Forui 


each  example  differed  from  every  otlier,  Init 
without  the  loss  of  its  ori^^inal  and  distinctive 
character. 

Let  us  remember  too.  that  to  the  Roman  we 
are  indebted  for  the  constructive  principle  of  the 
arch,  which  opened  to  the  architect  unlimited  pos- 
sibilities. Though  their  architecture  was  made 
up  of  borrowings  from  all  the  world,  and  its  over- 
loaded ornament  and  vulgar  display  are  but  the 
mirror  of  the  national  character,  wc  must  not 
forget  that  he  made  possible,  some  of  the  grand- 
est forms  of  later  architecture. 


ts 


*'}Vhat  seemed  an  idol  ht^mn,  noW  breathes  of  Thee, 
Tuned  bt;  Faith's  Ear  to  some  celestial  medodt;. 


66 


EAKLY   CHP.ISTIAN  AND 
BYZANTINE,. 

A\'e  now  come  to  a  period  when  we  shall  have 
no  temples  or  theaters  or  public  buildings  to 
describe,  where  all  these  forms  disappear,  and 
for  nearly  700  years  ecclesiastical  forms,  churches 
and  cathedrals  occupy  the  sole  attention  of  the 
architect.  Even  dwelling  houses  are  utterly  ne- 
glected ;  and  until  the  castle  of  the  Xorman  baron 
arose,  of  which  we  shall  speak  later,  there  was 
nothing  built  but  churches. 

Religion  has  ever  been  a  chief  factor  in  stim- 
ulating the  art  of  architecture;  and  just  as  pagan 
Egypt,  Greece  and  Rome  embodied  their  loftiest 
conceptions  in  their  temples  for  worship,  so  with 
tlie  Christian  faith,  tliere  arose  forms  of  beauty 
that  culminated  in  the  glorious  cathedrals  of  the 
middle  ages. 

-\s  the  early  Christians  grew  numerous  and 
jjowerful,  they  came  out  of  their  catacombs  and 
hiding  places,  and  began  openly  to  erect  places 
of  worship.  At  last  came  Constantine,  and  de- 
creed the  Christian  religion  to  be  the  religion  of 
the  Empire.  Then  began  the  building  of  the 
basilicas,  some  of  which  were  remodeled  Roman 

67 


St.  Clement's    Sasilica,    R.ome 


theaters,  and  columns,  ricli  capitals,  marbles  and 
mosaics  appropriated  for  the  new  ones.  The  ex- 
teriors of  these  buildings  possessed  little  archi- 
tectural merit,  nor  were  their  builders  concerned 
about  styles.  Space  was  what  they  wanted,  and 
to  meet  the  demand  for  extra  accommodation, 
the  first  rude  transepts  were  formed  by  slightly 
widening  the  space  between  the  apse  and  the 
end  of  the  nave.  Thus  was  foreshadowed  the 
cruciform  plan  of  the  mediaeval  cathedrals, 
while  the  division  into  nave  and  aisles  of  these 
early  basilicas,  has  been  handed  down  to  the 
present  day. 

While  little  attention  was  given  to  architectural 
form  in  these  Early  Christian  churches,  the  in- 
teriors were  enriched  with  veined  marbles  and 
golden  mosaics  that  are  still  undimmcd.  The 
floors  were  inlaid  niar])Us  and  ihe  walls  rich  with 


pictures  worked  out  in  small  brilliant  glass  cubes. 
The  illustration  shows  the  interior  of  one  of  these 
early  basilicas,  St.  Clement's,  at  Rome,  which 
though  rebuilt  in  the  eleventh  century,  retains 
the  old  plan,  with  its  peculiar  features  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation. 

And  so  we  see  that  this  early  Christian  plan 
and  arrangement  of  a  church  interior  was  the 
germ  of  the  estalilished  forms  of  later  building, 
and  a  type  that  widely  influenced  succeeding  gen- 
erations. 


Byzantine  Architecture 

Just  where  the  line  should  be  drawn  between 
the  Christian  basilica  and  the  early  Byzantine 
structures  is  not  easy  to  define.  The  divergence 
appears  in  the  use  of  the  dome,  which  was  the 
distinguishing  feature  of  Byzantine  architecture, 
and  which  resulted  in  the  square  or  Greek  cross 
form  of  interior  instead  of  the  long  rectangle 
of  the  Early  Christian  basilicas. 

Instead  of  covering  the  circular  wall  of  the 
Roman  temples  with  a  dome  as  the  Pantheon,  the 
Bvzantine  architect  placed  his  dome  upon  four 
arches  enclosing  a  square. 

Tn  viewing  a  typical  Byzantine  structure  the 
eye  at  once  observes  the  1)roken  skv  line  formed 
by  dome  rising  upon  dome  and  culminating  in  the 
great  central  dome.  Such  a  spectacle  is  the  mag- 
nificent church  of  St.  Sophia  at  Constantinople, 
considered  the  grandest  specimen  of  Byzantine 
art.      Just   as    Greek    architecture   has   the    Par- 

69 


Interior    of    St.   Sophia.     Constantinople 


thenon  as  its  grandest  exponent.  Egypt  the  won- 
derful temple  at  Karnac,  and  Rome  the  Pan- 
theon, so  this  vast  interior  with  its  series  of 
vaulted  roofs  and  hrilliant  and  costly  decora- 
tions, represents  the  highwater  mark  of  Byzan- 
tine architecture. 

Possessing  little  outward  heauty,  it  is  un- 
rivalled in  the  grandeur  of  an  interior  never 
equalled  for  rare,  hrilliant  yet  harmonious  dec- 
oration, and  in  the  masterly  treatment  of  hroad 
masses  and  minor  details. 

Like  some  ocean  grotto,  it  seems  hursting  with 
every  imaginable  revelation  of  light  and  color ; 
with  its  marbles  of  many  hues,  cornices,  friezes 
and  historic  pillars,  mosaics  of  precious  stones 
and  crosses  of  gold, — every  surface  glittering 
with  prismatic  gleams.  Byzantine  art  was  essen- 
tially one  of  incrustation,  the  surfaces  of  build- 

70 


in.c:s  bein.s:  covered  with  marljles  and  mosaics, 
of  which  quantity  appeared  to  be  the  character- 
istic rather  than  quality. 

The  many  influences  affecting  Byzantine  ar- 
chitecture produced  a  great  variety  of  design. 
The  Itahan  seaports  came  strongly  under  Byzan- 
tine influence,  and  the  church  of  St.  ^Mark's,  in 
\'enice,  was  its  most  beautiful  result.  Rebuilt 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  tenth  century,  except  for 
some  minor  details,  it  is  purely  Byzantine  in 
form.  So  admirabl}-  does  Ruskin,  in  his  Stones 
of  Venice,  describe  this  "vision  out  of  the  earth" 
that  a  portion  is  here  quoted. 

"A  multitude  of  pillars  and  white  domes  clus- 
tered into  a  long,  low,  pyramid  of  colored  light ; 
*  '''  '^  hollowed  beneath  into  five  great 
vaulted  porches,  ceiled  with  fair  mosaic  and  set 
with  sculpture  of  alabaster  clear  as  amber  and 
delicate  as  ivory, — sculpture  fantastic  and  in- 
volved, of  palm  leaves  and  lilies  and  grapes  and 
pomegranates  and  birds  clinging  and  fluttering 
among  the  branches,  all  twined  together,  and 
in  the  midst  of  it  the  solemn  forms  of  angels, 
sceptred  and  robed  to  the  feet :  *  *  *  And 
round  the  walls  of  the  porches  there  are  set  pil- 
lars of  variegated  stones,  *  *  *  the  shadow, 
as  it  steals  back  from  them,  revealing  line  after 
line  of  azure  undulation  as  a  receding  tide 
leaves  the  waved  sand  ;  their  capitals  rich  with 
interwoven  tracery — drifting  leaves  of  acanthus 
and  vine,  and  mystical  signs  all  beginning  and 
ending  in  the  cross ;  *  *  *  until  at  last,  as 
if  in  extacy,  the  crests  of  the  arches  break  into 
a  marble  foam,  and  toss  themselves  far  into  the 

71 


blue   sky    in    flashes   and   wreaths   of   sculptured 
spray." 

St.  Mark^'s  stands  without  a  peer  among  the 
churches  of  the  world  in  respect  to  its  unequalled 
richness  of  material  and  decoration,  arising  from 
the  fact  that  it  was  constructed  from  the  spoils 
of  countless  other  buildings  from  the  fourth 
century  down.  The  church  as  it  now  stands  is 
wholly  different  from  the  early  edifice  built  in 
the  tenth  century,  which  was  much  smaller  and 


1  **:  J^4'>4   . 


St.  Mark's  Church,  Venice. 

of  plain  red  brick  undecorated.  l\ut  constant 
enlargements  were  made  and  every  \'enetian 
doge,  down  to  the  time  of  Napoleon,  added  rich 
decorations,  until  by  degrees  the  whole  walls, 
inside  and  out,  were  completely  veneered  with 
colored  marbles  or  glass  mosaics  on  gold 
grounds,  the  plain  white  marble  being  reserved 
for  statuary,  and  then  thickly  decorated  witli 
gold. 

We    can    scarcely    conceive   the    splendour   of 
effect,  as  the  whole  wall  surface  of  the  interior 
72 


is  now  thickly  incrusted  with  dirt,  but  the  gen- 
eral plan  of  the  decoration  was  an  alternation 
of  richly  colored  marbles  arranged  in  broad, 
upright  bands  so  that  each  color  enhanced  the 
cfYect  of  its  neighbor.  The  bands  of  colored  mar- 
bles were  relieved  by  intervening  panels  of  pure 
white  marble,  sculptured  in  panels,  string  courses 
and  the  like,  and  by  moldings  of  white  marble. 

The  exterior  is  as  magnificently  enriched  as 
the  interior,  with  its  sculptured  arches,  marble 
screen  work  and  wonderful  collection  of  columns 
of  porphyry  and  precious  marbles.  As  many 
as  five  hundred  of  these  costly  columns  are  used 
to  decorate  the  church,  especially  the  west  front. 
A  volume  might  be  written  about  this  mag- 
nificent 1)uil(ling ;  but  s])ace  will  not  permit 
further  description. 

St.  Clark's  is  a  mixture  of  Greek.  Roman  and 
Byzantine  architecture.  The  spoils  brought  liy 
ancient  Rome  from  classic  Greece,  are  mingled 
in  the  details  of  the  decoration  with  those  from 
the  Orient,  .\labaster  carvings  stripped  from 
classic  buildings  were  mingled  with  the  gorgeous 
and  fantastic  Oriental  peacocks  drinking  from 
a  cup,  which  form  part  of  the  i)ainted  decoration. 

Its  great,  arched.  Roman  doorwaxs.  the  vast 
mass  of  elegant  marble  columns  with  their  classic 
capitals,  the  great  Byzantine  dome,  with  the 
smaller  domes  over  each  arm  of  the  building — 
all  present  a  composite  type,  unique  among  the 
world's    great   buildings. 

Such  a  "confusion  of  delight"  was  the  Bvzan- 
tine  type  of  architecture,  a  mingling  of  Roman 
73 


grandeur.  Greek  taste  and  Oriental  passion  and 
color.  Its  characteristics  were  unique,  interest- 
ing- and  unusual,  and  though  it  had  little  in- 
fluence in  Western  Europe,  it  had  a  glory  of  its 
own  which  left  its  impress  upon  the  domed 
moscjues  of  its  moslem  conquerors. 

Saracenic  architecture  is  one  of  the  most  fas- 
cinating divisions  of  our  subject.  The  story  of 
the  Mohammedan  era,  down  to  the  fall  of 
Granada,  is  like  a  fairy  tale,  "crystalized  in 
architecture,  ornament  and  design  ;"  a  tale  which 
space  will  not  permit  us  to  follow. 

By  no  means  new  in  its  constructive  details, 
Saracenic  architecture  added  to  the  arch  and 
the  dome  borrowed  from  the  Romans  and  the 
pillars  of  the  Greeks,  a  use  of  ornament  and 
color  entirely  its  own.  To  the  lavish  use  of 
color  was  joined  a  stucco  ornamentation  of  lace- 
like character,  unique  and  exquisite,  and  like 
nothing  else  in  the  w^orld.  The  Aloslem  struc- 
tures, at  first  small  and  insignificant,  became,  as 
the   faith   grew   and   spread,  rich  and  imposing. 

The  mosc|ues  were  beautiful  domes  and  groups 
of  galleried  minarets,  with  a  fore-court  in  front 
surrounded  by  a  colonnaded  arcade.  The  court 
contained  a  fountain  for  their  frequent  ablutions, 
and   gardens   of  orange   trees   and   roses. 

The  domes  were  finely  shaped  and  decorated 
externally  with  an  intricate  interlacing  of  geo- 
metrical designs,  and  shone  in  the  sim  like  a 
great  inverted  silver  bowl.  Within  they  were 
highly  colored  and  gilded,  with  many  aisles  and 
forests  of  columns  in  whose  arches  swung  gold 
and    silver   lamps. 

74 


Bronze    Doors,    Armenian    Church 

A  form  of  ornamentalion  peculiar  to  the 
vSaracens  and  constantly  used  by  them  was  the 
honeycomb  detail,  by  which  they  broug^ht  to- 
jc^ether  points  of  juncture.  Sometimes  this 
honeycomb  work  was  extremely  intricate,  cov- 
erins;'  niche-heads  and  roofs.  Its  use  appears  in 
the  photog'raph  of  the  Alhambra,  on  the  arches 
of    the   court. 

The  Saracens  employed  very  high,  sffuare  and 
recessed  doorwaxs,  but  broug^ht  down  the  actual 
doors  to  the  size  required  for  use  by  elaborate 
work  over  them.  The  workmanship  of  these 
doors  was  often  exquisite  and  the  bronze  hinges 
even,  were  often  chased  in  most  beautiful  de- 
sig;ns.  The  carved  woodwork  was  of  the  same 
delicate  and  beautiful   character. 

The  exquisite  workmanship  exhibited  in  the 
illustration  showing  the  doors  of  the  sanctuary 
in  the  Armenian  church,  is  characteristic  of  Sar- 
75 


The    Alhambra.    Granada 


accnic  architecture,  which  lavished  intricate  and 
elaborate  decoration  upon  the  building  and  its 
tittings.  The  delicate  piercing  and  embossing 
of  outer  doors  of  bronze  was  a  feature  of  their 
art,  and  ^lichael  Angelo  may  well  have  said 
of  these  beautiful  examples  what  he  did  of  the 
lironze  doors  of  the  Duomo — that  they  were 
"worthy  of  being  the  gates  of  paradise." 

Saracenic  architecture  indeed  reflects  the 
luxuriance  and  splendor  of  Moorish  power  at 
its  zenith,  as  well  as  the  culture  of  a  people  de- 
voted to  scholarship  and  learning,  the  romance 
of  chivalry  and  the  Oriental  love  of  color  which 
was    its   Arabian    birthright. 

We  think  of  mosques  and  minarets  in  speak- 
ing of  the  Moorish  st\"le,  and  these  were  the 
early  features  of  the  type.  The  famous  mosque 
of  Cordova,  in  Spain,  is  the  most  important 
example  of  their  religious  architectiu"e,  with  its 
columned  forest  and  the  wonderful  vistas  of  its 
arched  aisles.  Its  glory  has  almost  vanished, 
and  little  remains  of  its  original  grandeur.  Xor 
have  time  and  fate  been  kinder  to  that  "pearl 
of  Moorish  art."  the  Alhambra,  for  most  of  its 
delicate  and  enchanting  decoration  has  been  de- 
faced or  destroyed  by  vandals,  though  portions 
were  restored  by  Isabella,  of  Spain,  in  1665.  A 
section  of  this  famous  "citadel  palace"  is  here 
illustrated,  though  doubtless  pictures  of  it  are 
familiar  to  most. 

Externally  its  towers  of  red  brick  present  th'' 
appearance  of  a  fortress,  severe  and  forbidding. 
It  is  the  wonderful  interior,  which  has  been 
hap])il\     likened    to    a    casket    of    jewels,    which 

77 


pives  it  distinction.  The  domed  roof  of  one  of 
the  halls  is  treated  in  a  honeycombed  stalactite 
manner,  nearly  5,000  pieces  entering  into  its 
construction.  In  the  Court  of  Lions  the  light 
Arabian  arcades  of  open  filigree  work  are  sup- 
ported by  slender  pillars  of  white  marble.  Here, 
the  fairy  fretwork  of  the  dome,  and  the  slender, 
fragile  colonnade,  are  as  fresh  and  unshaken  as 
if  just  created.  The  charm  of  the  delicate  orna- 
mentation is  enhanced  by  Oriental  coloring  of 
remarkable  beauty.  Everywhere  are  evidences 
of  the  delicate  taste  and  artistic  luxur}'  of  the 
Aloors. 

Pages  could  be  covered  with  a  description  of 
these  exquisite  effects,  Init  they  are  familiar  to 
most  readers.  Not  so  well  knowm,  perhaps,  is 
the  Moorish  legend  of  the  origin  of  this  ex- 
quisite conception.  Thus  it  runs :  The  great 
architect  had  roofed  the  courts  of  the  fortress 
witli  a  plain  dome,  as  others  had  done  liefore 
nim ;  but  dissatisfied,  and  wanting  something, 
ne  sat  praying  to  Allah  for  inspiration.  Just 
then  a  troop  of  slaves  came  dancing  in,  and  be- 
gan to  pelt  each  other  with  handfuls  of  snow 
from  the  great  l)asketfuls  brought  but  then  from 
the  mountains.  The  snow  fell  on  the  black  faces, 
and  la}'  like  wreaths  of  down,  and  on  the  fairer 
faces  it  hung  like  ice-drops.  They  tossed  hun- 
dreds of  snow-balls  aloft,  trying  who  could  make 
the  most  snow  cling  to  the  roof  of  the  dome. 
Suddenly  they  fled,  and  the  good  architect  looked 
up  at  the  hanging  tufts  and  pendents  of  snow 
and  smiled,  for  Allah   had  answered  his  pra\'cr. 


78 


'There  Was  a  stern  round 
toWer  of  other  days," 

—  Childe  Harold 


79 


ROMANESQUE,    ARCHITEC- 
TURE 

W'c  must  now  rclurn  to  Rome  and  the  early 
Christians,  whom  we  left  buildini;"  their  basilicas. 
while  we  traced  the  architecture  of  the  East. 

We  are  now  entering  the  historical  i)eriod 
known  as  the  Dark  Ages ;  and  the  transitional 
period  in  architecture  from  the  basilica  type  of 
churches  to  the  mediaeval   cathedral. 

As  in  the  far  off  dim  past,  we  find  the  re- 
ligious feeling  of  the  peoples  dominating  archi- 
tectural composition  and  the  church  its  chief 
expression.  A  new  style  of  church  architecture 
was  developing,  arising  from  the  spread  of  mon- 
astic and  ecclesiastical  influence  westward  and 
northward,  which  was  the  result  j^artl}-  of  new 
climatic  and  local  conditions.  In  the  forests  of 
the  north  were  no  ruined  Grecian  or  Roman 
temples  to  convert  into  Christian  basilicas.  The 
monastic  architect  of  France  and  Germany  and 
the  abbey  builder  of  England,  modified  the 
Roman  methods  of  style  by  the  materials  of 
81 


his  particular  territory,  and  the  unskilled  labor 
at  his  command.  The  new  architecture,  based 
upon  the  traditions  of  Rome,  kept  to  its  heavy 
masonry  and  round  arches,  and  added  towers  of 
imposing  strength.  Naturally  it  received  the 
name  of  Romanesque,  a  term,  however,  which 
may  cover  broadly  many  interesting  buildings 
showing  variant  features.  The  term  Roman- 
esque is  used  broadly  to  include  all  tliose  phases 
of  architecture  up  to  the  thirteenth  century 
which  were  more  or  less  based  upon  Roman 
work.  Its  general  character  is  one  of  great  dig- 
nity mingled  with  many  picturesque  features. 

Speaking  generally,  the  Romanesque  type  be- 
gan its  development  in  Italy  in  the  tenth  century, 
extending  over  England  and  the  continent  in 
examples  of  steadily  increasing  refinement  till  it 
was  merged  in  or  supplanted  bv  the  period  called 
Gothic ;  although  Gothic  architecture  is  in  reality 
only  the  progressive  development  of  the  Roman- 
esque, dependent  upon  the  discovery  of  the  new 
principle  in  roofing,  of  ribbed  vaulting,  which 
solved  so  many  difficulties  of  the  Romanesque 
architects.  So  that  under  the  term  Romanesque 
is  often  understood  all  the  round-arched  Gothic, 
which  represented  a  great  group  of  churches 
in  Northern  France  before  the  introduction  of 
the  true  Gothic,  and  the  Norman  buildings  of 
England. 

Roman  art,  j)ure  and  unadulterated  by  Byzan- 
tine or  Spanish  influence,  was  the  general 
foundation  of  Romanesque  Imilding.  Looking 
first  therefore  at  the  Italian  development  of 
Roman  building,  the  Gatheilral  of  Pisa,  with  its 

82 


St.    2eno.    Verona 


kaning-  bell  tower  and  eircular  baptistery,  is 
a  mucb  quoted  example.  The  cathedral  facade 
is  of  black  and  white  marble,  and  is  a  lavish 
arrangement  of  wall  arcades  and  i^alleries,  th.e 
tendency  to  monotonous  effect  of  the  repeating 
arches  being  happily  overcome  by  skillful  and 
varied  treatment  of  the  different  tiers.  In  the 
tower,  which  is  of  white  marble  entirely,  this 
varied  treatment  is  lacking;  and  tne  constant 
repetition  of  tiers  of  arcades  all  of  equal  height 
from  the  base  to  the  summit,  is  wearisome  and 
ugly,  in  spite  of  its  wonderful  construction. 
Whether  the  obliquity  of  the  tower  was  inten- 
tional with  the  Pisan  architects,  or  came  about 
in  the  course  of  construction,  has  been  much 
disputed.  The  total  amount  of  inclination 
from  the  base  to  the  cornice  is  13  feet  8  inches. 
The  walls  at  the  base  are  13  feet  thick,  at  the 
top  about  half  as  much,  and  are  of  solid  marble. 

«3 


Ruskin,  in  his  Letters,  inquires  of  the  Pisan 
architect,  as  to  why  he  built  "his  walls  with  the 
bottom  at  the  top  and  the  sides  squinting,"  and 
says  that  he  couldn't  look  at  the  north  side  with- 
out being  sea-sick.  Many  other  people  have  a 
similar  feeling. 

The  old  church  of  St.  Zeno,  at  Verona,  is  an 
interesting  example  of  Italian  Romanesque,  the 
plain  surface  of  the  facade  broken  by  a  series 
of  arcades  filled  in  with  slender  columns,  and 
by  arcaded  corbels  carved  under  the  slopes  of 
the  gable.  In  the  center  of  the  gable  is  a  beau- 
tiful rose  window — a  Romanesque  feature — and 
beneath  this  a  projecting  portico,  the  columns 
resting  upon  the  backs  of  crouching  lions. 
These 

"Porch  pillars  on  the  lion  resting, 
And  sombre,  colonnaded  aisles — " 

arc  typical  of  the  Italian  style  of  this  period, 
which  was  inclined  to  sternness,  though  elab- 
orate carving  over  the  entrance  and  the  slight 
projection  of  the  columned  arcades  with  their 
play  of  light  and  shade,  relieved  the  sever- 
ity of  the  design.  These  arcaded  galleries 
are  a  constant  feature  of  Italian  architecture, 
employed  in  every  possible  situation  and  some- 
times, as  in  the  case  of  the  palaces,  almost 
covering  the  facade.  St.  Zeno  shows  also  the 
campanile,  so  important  a  feature  of  Italian 
mediaeval  style,  occurring  in  connection  with 
most  of  the  churches. 

The  beautiful  twelfth  century  Cloisters  of  St. 
John   the  Lateran,  ar<'  the   only  other  examples 

84 


Cloisters  of  St.  John,  the  Lateran 


we  will  give  of  Italian  Romanesque.  The  Lat- 
eran derives  its  name  from  the  rich  patrician 
whose  palace  was  the  site  of  the  basilica  erected 
on  it  by  the  first  Christian  emperor,  Constantine, 
who  labored  upon  it  with  his  own  hands.  The 
Church  itself  has  been  many  times  rebuilt ;  but 
the  cloisters  are  as  originally  erected,  in  1 127. 
These    beautiful    cloistei 

"Centurial  shadows,  cloisters  of  the  elk" — 
are  formed  in  square  bays,  the  vault  arches  en- 
closing arcades  in  groups  of  five  or  more  open- 
ings. The  arches  are  supported  on  exquisitely 
inlaid  and  twisted  columns,  with  a  lovely  frieze 
above  of  colored  marbles.  The  court  thus  en- 
closed is  a  garden  of  roses.  The  beautiful, 
jewel-like,  mosaic  decorations  of  the  frieze,  and 
tjie   sk'nder.    marble   columns   richly   inlaid    with 

85 


Ar^ 


iiH 


Notre  Dame  La  Grande  at  Poiters 

liands  of  glass  mosaic  in  delicate  and  brilliant 
patterns  of  light  and  dark  greens  and  creamy 
tints  of  pale  rose,  are  the  interesting  features  of 
these  cloisters,  and  the  work  of  a  family  of 
famous  architects   and  sculptors   of  that  period. 

The  French  buildings  of  this  period  appear  to 
hav€  been  strongh-  influenced  by  the  remains  of 
the  temples,  amphitheaters,  etc.,  left  by  Roman 
occupation,  which  were  scattered  through  the 
country.  They  are  marked  by  the  heavy  walls, 
massive  round  arches  and  decorated  doorways  of 
these  Roman  types,  with  ornamented  capitals 
and  sculptured  enrichments  borrowed  directly 
from  classic  models. 

The  town  of  Poitiers,  for  example,  contained 
many  extensive  Romain  remains  of  baths  and 
an  immense  theater.  The  church  of  Notre 
Dame  du  Poitiers  is  an  excellent  and  typical  ex- 

86 


ample  of  eleventh  century  French  Romanesque. 
It  has  a  richly  sculptured  facade,  in  which  the 
colored  lava,  of  which  it  is  constructed,  is  used 
with  striking"  effect.  The  exterior  i)resents  the 
interesting  feature  of  a  group  of  small  chapels 
ranged  round  the  end  of  the  cathedral,  form- 
ing what  the  French  called  a  chcret,  the  plan- 
ning of  which  was  the  crowning  glory  of  the 
French  mediaeval  school,  and  the  feature  which 
displayed  conspicuously  the  wonderful  ingenuity 
and  skill  of  French  architects.  To  design  a 
simple  rounding  apse  instead  of  the  square  end 
of  English  churches,  was  easy  enough,  hut  when 
this  was  surrounded  by  an  arrangement  of  small 
chapels  again,  the  difficulties  became  great. 
Often  these  chapels  around  the  apse  produce  a 
crowded  eft'ect,  but  when,  as  in  some  of  the 
cathedrals.  onl_\-  three  were  used,  with  unoccupied 
bays  between,  the  effect  became  beautiful. 

The  full  development  of  the  chcvct  of  which 
we  see  the  beginning  in  Xotre  Dame  du  Poitiers, 
will  be  seen  in  the  later  churches  of  the  Gothic 
])eriod. 

The  very  interesting  Romanesque  structures 
of  Normandy,  are  intimately  related  to  the  Ro- 
manesque period  in  English  architecture,  which 
is  considered  at  some  length  in  the  general  di- 
vision  of  English  architecture. 

Probably  there  is  no  more  striking  example 
of  the  Romanesque  period,  than  the  great  Ger- 
man cathedral  at  Worms.  It  is  picturesque  in 
outline  and  in  mass,  while  the  details  show  a 
tine  decorative  quality  of  design.  Its  four  round 
towers,  two  large  domes  with  a  choir  at  each  end, 

87 


f^ive  an  imposing-  exterior,  heightened  by  the 
color  of  the  red  sandstone  of  which  it  is  built. 
The  natural  color  of  the  stone  appears  in  the 
interior  also,  and  adds  to  its  dignitv  and  sini- 
plicitx-.  Only  the  lower  part  of  the  western 
towers  are  as  originally  built  in  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, the  other  portions  being  added  later,  and 
the  elaborate  south  portal  as  late  as  the  four- 
teenth century. 

The  ornamentation  of  the  older  parts  is  in  the 
simple,  almost  rude,  st\le  of  the  earlv  Roman- 
esque, yet  the  whole  effect  is  dignified  and  im- 
posing. The  arrangement  of  the  Rhenish  cathe- 
dral, the  picturesque  grouping  of  octagonal  tur- 
rets, and  the  open,  arcaded  galleries  under  the 
gable  ends,  the  unusual,  treatment  of  the  openings 
in  the  upper  portion  of  the  towers  and  the  ar- 
caded recesses  of  the  lower  walls,  was  extremely 
decorative,  and  gave  a  special  individual  charac- 
ter to  the  design. 

Interesting  as  are  these  European  examples,  it 
is  in  England  we  find  the  complete  charm  of  the 
Romanesque  style,  a  style  emliodying  the  rugged 
temper  of  its  tumultuous  Xorman  builders.  In 
the  castle-like  towers  of  Ely  and  Durham  cathe- 
drals, we  shall  find  on  English  soil  Roman- 
esque types  which  suri)ass  in  interest  even  the 
Xorman  structures  from  which  thev  sprang. 


89 


"The  Gothic  cathedral  is  a  blossoming  in 
stone,  subdued  by  the  insatiable  demand  of  har^ 
many  in  man.  The  mountain  of  granite  blooms 
into  an  eternal  flotaer,  tjnith  the  lightness  and 
delicate  finish  of  Vegetable  beauty." 

—Emerson, 


90 


GOTHIC    AP^CHITE-CTUF^E 

Tlic  period  known  as  the  Gothic  era  was  a  time 
of  unparalleled  activit}'  and  architectural  crea- 
tiveness. 

Wonderful  as  we  have  found  the  ruined  halls 
of  Karnac,  the  perfection  of  the  Parthenon,  the 
domes  of  pagan  Rome  and  the  hrilliant  decora- 
tion of  the  East — the  Gothic  period  is  the  very 
flower  of  advancing  civilization ;  when  the  world 
began  to  shake  ofT  the  chains  of  ignorance  and 
superstition,  when  petty  tyrants  no  longer  held 
men  down  with  an  iron  hand,  when  all  its  sister 
arts  took  on  fresh  inspiration,  and  architecture 
put  forth  its  rarest  and  most  perfect  blossom. 

The  suggestion  of  aspiration,  inherent  in 
Gothic  architecture,  the  tall,  slender  spires  and 
gables  of  the  new  type, 

"Still  climbing,  luring  fancy  still  to  climb". 
are  the  expression  of  a  great  uplift,  of  feelings 
long  pent  up  in  the  misery  and  hopelessness  of 
the  dark  ages. 

The  Gothic  tyi)e  is  not  alone  the  discovery  of 
a   new  constructive  ])rinciplt.'.   or  a   l)alancing  of 

91 


thrust  and  connter-tlirust.  It  is  the  crystalliza- 
tion of  religious  fervor,  and  of  a  passionate  de- 
votion that  drifted  all  before  it  like  the  wind.  A 
great  outburst  of  effort  and  a  splendor  of  cre- 
ative energy,  followed  the  awakening  of  mediae- 
val freedom,  and  the  era  of  the  great  cathedral 
builders  is  the  grandest  in  the  world's  history. 

Technicall}'  speaking,  the  Gothic  type  was  the 
result  of  the  revolution  in  building  methods  fol- 
lowing the  application  of  ribbed  vaulting  to  the 
j^rinciple  of  the  arch. 

The  question  of  roof  treatment,  the  question 
whicli  v<as  the  burning  problem  of  the  me- 
dit-eval  architects,  was  happily  solved  bv  the  dis- 
covery of  a  new  principle — that  of  ribbed  vault- 
ing; and  it  was  this  principle  of  ribbed  T'a/////H_if 
which  produced  the  pointed  arch,  the  structural 
basis  of  the  Gothic  style.  With  this  form  of 
construction,  the  roof  became  lighter,  and  could 
span  larger  areas.  The  pressure  being  concen- 
trated upon  the  points  of  support  from  which  the 
ribs  spring,  it  was  necessary  only  to  strengthen 
the  wall  at  these  points  instead  of  making  it 
thick  and  massive  throughout,  and  it  could  be 
opened  up  in  the  form  of  windows.  The  walls 
of  Gothic  cathedrals  became  in  fact  little  more 
than  frames  for  the  great  traceried  windows  filled 
with  richly  colored  glass.  For  this  reason  the 
Gothic  cathedral  has  been  not  inaptly  called  "a 
roof  of  stone  with  walls  of  glass,"  a  felicitous  de- 
scription of  its  peculiarities.  Traceried  win- 
dows, such  a  feature  of  Gothic  architecture,  those 
marvels  of  "foliaged  tracery  thrcuigh  slender 
shafts  of  shapely  stone" — may  be  l)roadly  divided 

92 


into  the  geometrical  ami  the  l]o\vini,^  The  latter 
division  includes  both  the  riowing-  and  perpendic- 
ular or  lancet  forms  in  Ejigland,  and  the  flam- 
boyant in  France,  and  all  may  be  grouped  to- 
gether under  the  general  term  of  Decorated.  The 
minute  distinctions  between  the  various  modifica- 
tions of  these  forms,  as  they  differed  in  different 
sections  of  Europe  and  as  the  details  were  varied 
in  the  transitional  stages  when  one  style  was  be- 
coming merged  into  the  succeeding  one — are  too 
complicated  to  be  of  interest  to  the  general  read- 
er. It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  during  the  whole 
period  of  time  when  the  simple  lancet  window 
was  being  superseded  by  the  more  confused  per- 
pendicular, window  detail  was  steadily  verging 
toward  the  pure  Gothic. 

It  is  usual  to  consider  the  pointed  arch  the 
characteristic  feature  of  the  Gothic  style.  But 
the  supplanting  of  the  Romanesque  by  the  Gothic 
was  not  merely  the  substitution  of  the  pointed 
arch  for  the  round.  The  pointed  arch  is  really 
as  old  as  the  round  and  is  found  in  some  of  the 
earliest  attempts  of  the  arch  in  both  Greece  and 
Rome.  It  was  in  use  b}-  the  Saracens  long  be- 
fore the  so-called  Gothic  era,  and  borrowed  from 
them  by  the  Italians  as  early  as  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury. 

The  Saracens,  though  using  the  pointed  arch, 
never  developed  a  style  of  ornamentation  in  har- 
mony with  it;  and  this  the  architects  of  France 
and  England  did.  Under  their  skillful  han.ls 
grew  the  light,  clustered  pillars,  the  mullions  and 
the  graceful  tracery. 

93 


Noire    Dame,    Paris 


French  Gothic 

There  is  no  cinintry  richer  in  architectural  ex- 
amples than  France.  While  all  Europe  has  its 
Gothic  gems,  and  England  takes  second  rank  \vitli 
none  in  a  series  of  mediaeval  structures  of  un- 
paralleled impressiveness,  Northern  France  is  tlu- 
royal  domain  of  the  Gothic  style.  A  series  of 
churches  there  exist  within  a  comparatively  small 
radius,  of  incontestable  superiority,  and  so  nearly- 
equal  in  merit  that  it  is  impossible  to  say  which 
should  have  the  preference. 

Queenly  as  rises  the  cathedral  church  of  Our 
Ladv  of  Paris  in  her  gray  beauty  above  the 
housetops  of  the  city,  the  spires  of  Chartres  upon 
the  hilltops,  and  the  magnificent  west  front  of 
Amiens,  are  powerful  rivals,  while  a  host  of 
smaller  churches,  scarce!}"  less  inferior,  claim  our 
homage. 

The  picture  of  Notre  Dame  at  Paris  shows  one 
of  the  earliest  French  churches  marked  by  Gothic 
influences.  In  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century 
first 

"Uprose  this  poem  of  the  earth  and  air. 
This  medi?eval  miracle  of  song." 

With  its  richly  sculptured  triple  western  portals, 
immense  central  rose  window  flanked  on  ea:h 
side  by  lateral,  arched  openings  in  the  two  great, 
square  towers,  the  lofty  gallery  of  open  arches 
supporting  on  its  delicate  columns  the  crowning 
])latform,  row  of  twenty-eight  statues  filling  th.e 
niches  over  the  entrances  and  innumerable  details 
of  carving  and  ornamentation, — this  famous  fa- 
cade remains  today  one  of  the  grandest  in  Eu- 
rope. 

95 


The  "great  grey  beauty,"  despite  her  scars  and 
■wrinkles,  joint  injuries  of  time  and  man — is  still 
tlie  queen  of  cathedrals.  Before  it  suffered  from 
the  ravages  of  the  Revolution,  Notre  Dame  was 
compared  with  the  Greek  temple  of  Diana  and 
found  more  excellent.  The  cathedral  is  not,  how- 
ever, a  pure  type,  but  a  specimen  of  the  transition 
stage  from  the  Roman  to  the  Gothic.  Begun  in 
the  twelfth  century,  the  massive  pillars  of  the 
nave  were  set  before  the  Crusaders  brought  over 
the  pointed  arches,  which  rest  upon  th.e  broad 
Roman  capitals  intended  to  support  round  arches. 
Between  the  sixteenth  century  Gothic  delicacy 
of  detail,  and  the  pillars  of  the  nave,  centuries  in- 
tervene. All  great  buildings  are  necessarily  the 
Vv'ork  of  time,  and  seldom  is  the  original  design 
carried  out  in  its  completeness.  Xotre  Dame  is 
a  marked  instance  of  the  grafting  of  the  Gothic 
type  upon  a  Roman  foundation ;  the  pointed  upon 
the  circular  arch. 

The  famous  Abbev  church  of  St.  Ouen.  built 
in  the  fourteenth  century  in  Rouen,  is  an  inter- 
esting example  of  French  early  Gothic. 

Though  the  theory  of  Gothic  design  was  com- 
pletely understood  in  France  a  century  earlier, 
there  was  a  continual  progression  toward  lighter 
pillars  and  larger  window  surface,  with  rich 
geometrical  tracery.  The  Gothic  of  this  century 
has  more  resemblance  to  the  English,  with  much 
the  same  treatment.  St.  Ouen  was  one  of  the 
few  churches  begun  and  com|)leted  in  one  cen- 
tury, and  has  therefore  more  unity  of  design  than 
most  of  the  great  buildings.  In  .^t.  Ouen  we 
lia-.e  an  instance  of  the  lantern  feature  introduced 
96 


Church    of   St.    Ouen,    R.ouen 


on  French  cathedrals  and  which  took  the  place 
of  a  central  tower.  The  row  of  six  small  chap- 
els along-  the  side  walls,  between  the  buttresses, 
is  another  feattire  peculiar  to  French  cathedrals 
of  the  fourteenth  century.  Each  chapel  has  its 
pyramidal  roof  and  each  its  large  window.  Small 
chai)cls  also  circle  the  apse  at  the  east  end.  Such 
an  arrangement  of  cha])els  with  fixing  buttresses 
on  several  stages  rising  from  among  them,  is 
called  a  chevct,  and  presents  a  most  picturesque 
and  striking  appearance.  Some  of  these  churches 
seem  indeed  to  be  a  perfect  forest  of  flying  Init- 
tresses,  pinnacles  and  spires. 

The  graceful  church  of  Sainte  Chapelle  at  Paris 

may  be  instanced  as  a  fine  example  of  first  pointed 

construction   in    France  and   one   of   the   earliest 

churches  where  stained  glass  is  found  in  its  per- 

97 


St.    Chapelle,    Paris 


fcction.  iJesides  the  great  rose  window  over  the 
entrance,  the  side  walls  are  but  frames  for  pic- 
tures of  glass,  which  it  must  be  confessed  oft  ob- 
scure "With  painted  saints  and  paraphrase  of 
God"  not  only  "The  soul's  east  window  of  divine 
surprise" — but  the  natural  eyesight  itself. 

A  French  cathedral  rarely  shows  to  such  ad- 
vantage as  the  English  of  the  same  style,  because 
of  its  situation  in  the  heart  of  cities,  crowded 
and  jostled  b}-  other  buildings,  so  that  much  of 
its  beauty  of  outline  lielow  the  roof  is  lost. 

Of  somewhat  later  date  is  the  church  of  St. 
Maclou,  built  also  in  Rouen,  and  wdiile  hardly 
rising  to  the  dignity  of  St.  Ouen,  is  justly  cele- 
brated for  the  beauty  of  its  stained  glass  and  its 
organ  loft,  reached  by  a  beautiful  open  staircase. 
The  building  is  not  large,  built  of  stone  laid  up 
in  a  curiously  irregular  manner.  It  is  said,  in- 
deed, that  all  the  countryside  round  Rouen  came 

"to  give  votes  for  God 
Each  vote  a  block  of  stone  securelv  laid 
Obedient  to  the  master's  deep-mused  plan." 

St.  ]\Iaclou  is  a  fine  instance  of  the  extreme 
development  of  tracery  as  a  principal  architec- 
tural feature,  and  of  the  slenderness  of  con- 
struction which  may  be  said  to  have  reached  its 
utmost  tenuousness  in  the  fourteenth  centurv. 
Further,  it  could  scarce  be  carried  though  be- 
coming more  general.  The  slender  gables  over 
the  arches  of  St.  Maclou  are  mere  triangles  of 
tracery,  as  delicate  as  window  tracery,  onlv  not 
filled  with  glass.  Designed  exactly  as  window 
tracery  is  designed,  they  have  an  equal  value  as 
ornamentation,  and  are  unsur]iassed  even  l)y  the 

99 


lace  work  of  the  Alhanibra  in  their  pecuHar 
charm.  The  staircase  to  the  organ  loft  before 
alluded  to  is  ornamented  with  extremely  delicate 
sculptured  designs  of  later  date,  w'hich  are  as 
rich  in  fancy  and  as  delicate  in  execution  as  an 
Oriental  ivory. 

The  beautiful  rood  screen  of  the  church  of  La 
Madeleine,  at  Troyes,  is  of  later  date  than  the 
church  itself,  and  is  an  illustration  of  the  late 
fifteenth  ccntur\"  (lOthic  which  received  the  name 


Church  of  St.  Maclou,     Rouen 


of  "flamboyant,"  from  the  flame-like  shapes  into 
which  the  tracery  of  the  heads  of  windows  was 
thrown.  While  this  form  of  Gothic  is  far  from 
being-  as  dignified  or  refined  as  the  late  English 
CJothic,  and  exuberant  richness  of  detail  was  car- 
ried  to  extreme  lengths  both    in   decoration  and 

100 


Screen   of   the    Madeleine,    Troyes 

general  design,  there  are  many  instanecs  which 
shiow  a  trul}-  artistic  feeUng. 

In  the  choir  of  St.  ]\Iadeleine  we  have  one  of 
these  instances  ;  for  though  over-florid,  with  none 
of  the  restfuhiess  of  great  architecture,  it  is  a 
brilHant  and  rich  piece  of  decoration..  It  may  be 
said  that  St.  Madeleine  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best 
productions  of  the  gay  and  meretricious  style  of 
the  flamboyant  period,  a  style  which  relied  wholly 
upon  ornament  for  effect,  and  not  upon  design. 

In  France,  as  has  been  said,  we  find 

"The  minister's  vast  repose 
Silent  and  gray  as  forest-leaguered  clifT," 

rising  from  the  heart  of  bustHng  city  life,  in  con- 
trast with  English  seclusion.  Again,  in  com- 
paring French  with  English  Gothic,  we  find  the 
French  cathedrals  distinguished  for  their  lofty 
vaulting,  while  the  English  churches  are  longer 
and  lower.  One  reason  for  this  difference  is  that 
many  of  tlie  English  churches  were  enlarged  and 

101 


worked  over  from  the  original  building  in  the 
Romanesque  style,  not  primarily  intended  for  a 
cathedral,  but  an  abbey  church  attached  to  a  mon- 
astery. They  have  quiet  surroundings,  and  while 
less  ambitious  in  design,  the  greater  mass  and 
lower  height,  permit  such  pictorial  effects  as  the 
lofty  spire  of  Salisbury  and  the  central  tower 
of  Lincoln.  Such  effects  were  impossible  on  the 
lofty  French  cathedral  which  was  designed  for 
interior  spectacular  eft'ect. 

Besides  these  noted  examples,  there  are  many 
smaller  and  scarcely  inferior.  Nor  was  the  Goth- 
ic expression  of  the  art  in  France  confined  to 
cathedrals.  In  some  of  the  towns  fine  specimens 
of  the  later  Gothic  houses  are  still  to  be  seen  with 
their  high  gables  and  steep  over-hanging  roofs, 
moulded  beams  and  brackets,  picturesque  and  in- 
teresting. 

ITALIAN  GOTHIC. 

It  is  impossible  not  to  feel  that  the  Gothic  of 
Italy  is  as  a  stranger  in  a  far  country.  The 
Italians  never  took  kindly  to  the  style,  which 
they  regarded  as  the  production  of  Goths  and 
barbarians.  It  was,  moreover,  not  in  harmony 
with  their  classic  traditions  nor  with  their  cli- 
mate or  building  materials.  While,  therefore, 
some  Italian  Gothic  possesses  much  charm,  it 
never  achieved  the  same  brilliant  success  as  in 
Northern   France  and  England. 

In  Italy,  the  use  of  the  pointed  arch  was  ac- 
cepted as  an  unpleasant  necessity  but  with  no  en- 
thusiasm. They  constructed  pointed  arches,  it  is 
true,   but    with    such    ill    grace   that   they   would 

102 


scarce  have  stood  for  a  cla\-  1)ut  for  the  iron  rods 
that  held  them  tot;etlier  ;  and  their  window  trac- 
eries are  hut  indifferent  copies  of  Northern  ex- 
amples. In  the  period  when  the  Gothic  style 
was  almost  exclusively  practiced  in  Northern  Eu- 
rope the  Italians  made  but  little  progress  in  it, 
and  gladly  responded  to  the  first  bugle  call  of 
the  Renaissance.  The  Italians  never  really  un- 
derstood the  Gothic  style  and  so  never  cared  for 
it ;  they  never  let  go  of  their  round  arches  and 
their  love  of  color. 

Still  there  were  some  Gothic  beauties  pro- 
duced, and  the  queen  of  them  is  easily  the  beau- 
tiful Campanile,  or  bell  tower,  of  the  Florence 
cathedral,  which  Ruskin  said  was  so  perfect  that 
it  ought  to  be  kept  in  a  glass  case.  In  the  or- 
derly proportion  of  its  lines,  accurately  adjusted, 
and  unbroken  vertical  ef^'ect,  it  is  perhaps  un- 
<?qualled,  though  the  cathedral  cannot  be  said  to 
be  a  complete  composition,  taken  as  a  whole. 
Originally  designed  as  a  Gothic  structure,  the 
cathedral,  whose  general  lines  are  on  that  order, 
is  crowned  by  a  dome  modeled  after  the  Roman 
Pantheon.  The  exterior  of  the  Duomo  itself 
is  of  red,  green  and  white  marble,  arranged 
in  panels.  The  cathedral  was  two  hundred 
years  in  building,  and  for  a  long  time  it 
was  supposed  the  diameter  of  space  was  too 
great  to  vault.  The  lofty  dome,  nideed,  was 
added  two  hundred  years  after  the  commence- 
ment of  the  building,  and  from  it  Michael  Angelo 
modeled  the  great  dome  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome. 
It  is  said  that  when  he  left  Florence  to  go  to 
Rome  for  that  purpose,  he  looked  back  tenderly 
103 


II    Duomo,    Florervce 


to  his  beloved  Duomo.  and  cried  out:  "A  larger 
dome  I  may  build,  perhaps ;  but  one  more  beau- 
tiful I  never  can."  "II  Duomo,"  as  the  cathedral 
is  always  called,  is  considered  the  most  beautiful 
church  in  Italy.  The  walls  are  adorned  external- 
ly with  inlays  of  colored  marbles  and  windows 
have  stained  glass — a  rare  thing  in  Italy. 

The  campanile  of  Italian  churches  is  altogether 
(lififerent  from  the  Ijell  towers  of  other  lands. 
It  almost  never  forms  a  part  of  the  church  edifice 
proper,  but  is  usually  quite  detached  and  fre- 
quently placed  at  an  angle  with  the  main  walls. 
The  tower  of  II  Duomo  is  covered  with  panels 
of  variously  colored  marbles,  from  its  base  to 
its  summit,  and  enriched  with  sculpture.  Slight- 
ly projecting  piers  at  the  corners  increase  the 
appearance  of  strength.  The  windows  are  not 
large  in  the  lower  stories  :  but  in  the  upper  story 

104 


each  face  of  the  tower  is  i)icrce(l  Ijy  a  magnificent 
triple  window. 

It  was  intended  in  the  original  plan  to  termi- 
nate the  tower  with  a  spire,  hut  a  deep  and  elabo- 
rate cornice  crowns  it  instead.  Longfellow's  trib- 
ute to  this  campanile  is  so  beautiful  that  we 
give  it  here : 

"In  the  old  Tuscan  town  stands  Giotto's  tower, 
The  Lily  of  Florence  blossoming  in  stone. — 
A  vision,  a  delight  and  a  desire — 
The  builder's  perfect  and  centennial  flower. 
That  in  the  night  of  ages  bloomed  alone." 
As  compared   with   the  churches  of   Northern 
Europe,  Italian  Gothic  churches  were  smaller  and 
simpler,  and  .retain  many  features  of  the  basilica 
tyj^e   from  which  they  sprung.     Xor  do  the  in- 
teriors resemble  Xorthern  Gothic,  consisting  of  a 
large  hall  only,  with  a  chancel  for  the  choir. 

In  secular  buildings,  the  Gothic  architects  made 
frequent  use  of  an  inner,  arcaded  quadrangle,  and 
relied  ujion  these  cloistered  arches  for  their  prin- 
cipal effects.  The  famous  arcade  of  the  Doge's 
Palace  at  X'enice  is  the  single  instance  of  "ex- 
ternal arcades,  which  are  so  splendid  as  to  be 
alone  sufficient  to  make  the  building  famous. 

The  upper  part  is  carried  on  a~  pillared  gal- 
lery by  means  of  a  novel  but  very  successful 
modification  of  Gothic  window  tracery,  which 
would  seem  too  massive  but  for  its  manifest  pur- 
pose and  intention.  This  unusual  application  of 
decoration  resulted  in  the  most  successful  piece 
of  civic  architecture  in  Europe,  and  one  which 
has  been  widely  copied. 

Like  all  the  A'enetian  palaces,  it  rises  straight 
from 

"The  level,  quivering  line 
Of.-ih.e   water's  crystalline." 

105 


Bk. 


c 


without  a  Ijrcak  nr  projcctidii  of  anv  sort,  since 
thfv  ninst  admit  of  j^ondolas  coiniui;-  strai.yht  un- 
der the  wall. 

This  beautiful  palace  presents  two  fronts,  one 
facing  the  sea.  and  the  other  looking  over  the 
lagoon.  About  half  the  height  of  each  front  i^i 
:omposed  of  two  series  of  arcades. 

"\\'in(lows  just  with  windows  mating, 
I  )fX)r  on  door  exactly  waiting." 

— Browning. 

The  lower  story  is  bold,  but  simple  and  strong, 
the  upper  lighter  and  terminating  in  a  mass  of 
tracery.  The  walls  above  are  faced  with  alternate 
slabs  of  white  and  rose-colored  marble,  are 
pierced  In-  large,  pointed  windows,  and  crowned 
by  a  parapet.  The  colonnades  are  of  solid  Istrian 
limestone,  a  very  beautiful  cream-colored  stone  of 
extremely  fine  and  close  texture  and  taking  a 
high  polish.  Though  not  really  a  marble,  this 
stone  has  all  the  beauty  of  the  finest  white  marble,. 
and  turns  a  lovel}-  golden  russet  color  with  age. 
Its  extremely  fine  grain  permits  the  beautiful 
carving  of  cameo-like  delicacy,  which  is  profuse- 
ly lavished  over  the  whole  facade.  The  carving 
of  all  the  capitals  is  very  elaborate.  In  front  of 
the  west  or  sea  facade  are  placed  two  great  mono- 
liths of  Egyptian  granite,  one  red,  the  other  grev, 
which  were  brought  as  trophies  to  A'enice  in  the 
twelfth  century.  Vroui  between  these  pillars  sen- 
tences of  death  were  read  in  those  ages  of  Vene- 
tian craft  and  crueltw  The  whole  building  is  en- 
riched with  sculptured  statues  of  great  beaut'% 
and  makes  an  ineffaceable  imjDression. 

The  Gothic  palaces  were  arrau'^'-ed  and  designed 

1C7 


chiefly  for  a  front  view,  as  the  houses  standing 
in  rows  side  by  side  were  only  observed  in  front. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  openings  were  grouped 
together  in  front,  while  balconies,  corner-win- 
dows and  other  minor  features  invested  these 
Venetian   houses   with   great  interest. 

The  walling  of  these  old  palaces  was  always  of 
fine  brick,  usually  of  a  beautiful  red  color,  but 
though  so  beautiful,  it  was  seldom  left  exposed, 
but  covered  with  a  veneer  of  marble  slabs  or  else 
coated  with  stucco  profusely  ornamented. 

The  abundance  of  beautiful  colored  and  costly 
marbles  thus  used  gave  the  X'enetian  buildings  a 
wealth  of  magnificent  color  that  is  found  no- 
where else  in  the  modern  world.  The  facades  of 
the  Venetian  palaces  were  entirely  covered  with 
these  splendidly  colored  marbles,  and  in  addi- 
tion, an  even  greater  splendor  was  given  by  gold 
and  color  decoration.  One  can  but  recall  the 
citv  of  Irak,  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  whose  walls 
were  built  of  alternating  bricks  of  silver  and  gold. 

Frequently,  all  of  the  sculpture  enrichment  on 
the  more  magnificent  palaces,  both  frieze,  panels 
and  capitals,  was  thickly  covered  with  gold  leaf, 
the  flat  ground  being  colored  a  deep  ultramarine 
blue,  so  as  to  throw  the  relief  into  greater  prom- 
inence. The  less  pretentious  houses  were  cov- 
ered with  a  fine,  hard  stucco,  and  this  surface  was 
brilliantly  decorated  in  color,  especially  blue, 
which  they  used  lavishly.  Often  the  entire  sur- 
face was  covered  with  a  minute  diaper  pattern  in 
red,  yellow  and  brown  ochres,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  upper  story  of  the  Doge's  Palace. 

Their  employment  of  color  is  indeed  so  lavish 

109 


Bell    Tower,    Cathedral    at    Siena 


as  to  startle  the  eye  accustomed  to  the  grey  som- 
breness  of  EngHsh  architecture.  But  it  is  part 
of  the  southern  style,  and  their  more  restrained 
use  of  moldings  is  probably  an  offset  to  the  mo- 
saics and  frescoes  that  cover  the  wall  surfaces. 
Then,  too,  the  fineness  of  the  white  marlilc  sur- 
face upon  which  the  Italian  sun  makes  the  small- 
est molding  cfifective,  tends  to  greater  flatness  of 
treatment.  This  flatness,  it  was  the  effort  of  the 
colorist  to  overcome,  the  decoration  of  the  vari- 
ous moldings  having  the  effect  of  bringing  them 
into  more  prominent  relief  from  the  main  sur- 
face. 

In  modern  times  these  old  houses,  while  ex- 
ternally preserving;  their  magnificence,  are,  most 
of  them,  whited  sepulchres  of  decay  inside.  They 
are   made   to   do   duty   as   apartments,   and   six 

110 


floors  arranged  where  formerly  there  were  three, 
and  one  window  made  to  light  two  rooms.  The 
magnificent  saloon  is  cut  up  into  several  small 
rooms,  and  the  walls  covered  with  cheap 
paper  instead  of  the  magnificent  paintings  of  tlx- 
past.  The  doors  and  windows  refuse  to  shut, 
and  neglect  and  decay  take  the  place  of  the  old 
stateliness  and  grandeur.  The  floors,  of  marhle 
or  brick  or  terrasso,  are  very  cold,  and  unless  the 
brick  is  painted,  the  red  brick  dust  that  covers 
them  is  very  disagreeable.  The  tcrraszo  floors 
made  by  imbedding  bits  of  colored  stone  and 
marble  in  a  thick  layer  of  plaster,  are  very  good 
and  pleasing. 

In  that  oldest  of  Etruscan  cities,  Siena,  where 
the  Italian  sun 

"Touches  the  Tuscan  hills  with  golden  lance" — 
stands  a  fine  specimen  of  pointed  Gothic,  the 
Communal  Palace  in  the  Piazza  del  Campo.  It 
was  designed  by  noted  Italian  architects  of  the 
thirteenth  century  and  is  built  of  white  marble, 
with  occasional  courses  of  dark  gray  or  black 
marble.  The  light  and  elegant  tower  soaring  from 
one  side  of  the  palace,  was  added  a  century  later, 
and  is  striped  like  the  church,  in  alternate  black 
and  white  marble.  A  rich  and  delicately  arcaded 
gallery  binds  the  tower  to  the  church  on  each 
side. 

The  roofs  of  buildings  which  the  Gothic  style 
in  other  countries  made  steep  and  sharply  pitched, 
in  Italy,  even  in  the  Gothic  period,  remained  flat, 
often  finished  with  a  parapet,  either  plain  or  orna- 
mental, which  quite  concealed  it.  Xor  did  they 
emulate  the  Northern  Gothic  architect  in  the 
II 1 


Cathedral    at    Burgos 


threat  traceried  windows  of  which  he  was  so  fond, 
filled  with  brilliant  stained  glass.  The  bright- 
ness of  the  Italian  sunlight  made  this  feature 
unattractive  to  them,  and  tended  to  keep  Italian 
Gothic  essentially  different  from  other  nations. 
Still  the  great  artistic  taste  of  the  Italian  char- 
acter has  furnished  many  instances  of  softened, 
refined  and  beautified  Gothic,  which  are  well 
worth  careful  study. 


SPANISH    GOTHIC 

The  early  Gothic  work  of  Spain  was  developed 
directly  from  the  Romanesque,  and  shows  much 
purity  and  dignity.  It  can  hardly  be  said,  how- 
ever, to  possess  a  national  character,  as  its  archi- 
tects were  almost  universally  foreigners  and 
brought  with  them  their  local  characteristics. 

Strange  to  say,  the  Saracenic  school  of  art, 
which  was  concurrent  in  Spain  through  the 
greater  part  of  the  Gothic  period,  appeared  to 
leave  little  impress  upon  Gothic  buildings.  The 
Moors  built  their  famous  mosques  and  the  palace 
of  the  Alhambra  alongside  —  chronologically 
speaking — of  the  Gothic  cathedrals  of  Milan 
and  Seville.  In  the  parts  of  the  country  where 
the  Moors  held  sway,  Gothic  architecture  ob- 
tained no  footing ;  but  there  were  many  portions 
of  Spain  never  conquered  by  the  Moors,  and  here 
some  very  interesting  Gothic  buildings  were 
erected.  "In  old  Castile"  we  find  the  most  noted 
example  of  Spanish  Gothic,  in  the  cathedral  at 
Burgos.  The  cathedral  was  begun  in  1221,  but 
not  finished  till  300  \ears  later. 

113 


i^  -^  ''-v««?RP".,-Z!7^*^-B 


La    Giralda,  with    view    of   the    Alcazar,   Seville. 


The  view  shows  the  two  towers  of  the  western 
facade  with  their  openwork  spires  and  the  richlv 
treated  "lantern"  in  tiie  background.  The  ca- 
thedral ai)proaches  very  closely  to  the  French 
type  of  Gothic,  having  an  effective  horizontal 
termination  of  arcades  over  the  central  portion 
on  the  lines  of  the  facade  of  Notre  Dame,  Paris. 
The  Ix'autifnl  openwork  tracery  of  the  spires  is 
worthy  of  special  attention. 

Burgos  is  steeped  in  Spanish  romance ;  and 
an  interesting  bit  of  it  in  connection  with  tlie 
cathedral  is  the  famous  coffer  of  the  Cid,  which 
is  here  kejjt  in  a  groined  and  vaulted  chamber. 
Whetlier  the  sand  with  which  he  filled  it  when 
he  bargained  with  the  Jev.-  still  weighs  it  down, 
tradition    saith   not.      Perhaps,   of   all   that 

"Fair   land    of    chivalry,   the   old    domain 
Land  of  the  vine  and  olive,  lovely  Spain" — 

no  part  is  more  steeped  with  romance  and  the 
glamor  of  the  past  than  Seville.  On  the  banks 
of  the  Guadalquivir,  famed  in  song  and  story,  is 
tliis  old  Castilian  town,  so  long  under  Arab  rule, 
tliat  even  now  the  aspect  of  the  town  is  essen- 
tially Moorish.  Seville  contains  treasures  of  art 
and  architecture,  which  are  of  special  interest. 
The  great  cathedral  of  Seville  is  second  only  to 
St.  Peter's,  and  larger  than  Cologne. 

At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  cathedral  stands 
La  Giralda,  a  bell  tower  of  Moorish  origin,  275 
feet  in  height,  and  a  most  interesting  example  of 
the  Moorish-Gothic  t3-pc  of  building  met  with  in 
some  parts  of  Spain.  The  town  is  of  Moorish 
origin,  the  lower  185  feet  having  been  built  in  the 
twelfth    century    by   the    Arab   chieftain,    Yusuf. 

115 


I  PQ 


The  original  Moorish  fountain  in  the  court\ar<I 
below  is  still  preserved.  The  upper  Dart  and  the 
belfry  were  added  three  hundred  \ears  later  bv 
the  Spaniards,  as  also  the  bronze  statue  sur- 
mounting; it.  The  exterior  is  incrusted  with  del- 
icate Aloorish  detail,  and  is  quite  the  finest  speci- 
men of  pseudo  -Moorish-Gothic  in  Spain.  As  the 
eye  is  uplifted  to  this  beautiful  tower — 

"Illuminate  seclusion  swung-  in  air" — 
the  wonder  grows^  that  such  finished  grace  of 
execution  could  have  been  the  work  of  a  race 
we  are  accustomed  to  think  of  as  barbarians — 
the  wild  and  warlike  IMoors.  La  Giralda  itself 
is  a  massive,  square,  rose-colored  tower,  diapered 
with  fretwork  and  relieved  l)y  light  balconies. 
The  solid,  grey  base  and  graceful  superstructure 
impart  a  mingled  feeling  of  stability  and  light- 
ness. 

The  foreground  of  the  picture  is  occupied  bv 
a  portion  of  the  Alcazar  of  Seville,  a  palace  ex- 
celled in  beauty  and  interest  only  by  the  Alham- 
bra,  but  greatly  injured  by  Charles  Mil  in  his 
zeal  for  alterations.  Restorations  in  later  times 
have  in  a  measure  restored  the  Moorish  work  of 
which  it  is  now  a  very  fine  example. 

BELGIAN  AND  GERMAN  GOTHIC 

The  architecture  of  Belgium  is  essentiallv  Ger- 
man in  spirit,  both  the  general  style  and  detail 
all  showing  the  same  Teutonic  character.  Both 
Belgium  and  Germany  borrowed  their  Gothic 
from  France.  Belgium  coming  most  under  French 
influence  by  reason  of  its  close  proximity. 
117 


Cathedral  at    Cologne 


I  he  richlv  treated  town  halls  of  P.cjoiuni  are 
-nterestin;;  sul.jects,  well  worth  the  attention 
The  general  aspect  of  these  iniildings  is  nohle  and 
hold  m  the  mass  and  rich  in  ornament.  The  fa- 
"H.us  Town  Hall  of  i5russcls  offers  an  excellent 
ilhistration  of  IJel-ic  fifteenth  centurv  Gothic 

The  possession  of  a  "helfry"  was  an  important 
privile-e  of  the  mediaeval  Belgian  town,  and  the 
tower  at  Brussels  is  one  of  the  finest  of  these  bel- 
fries.    The  tower  is  set  noblv  into  the  buildin- 
and  Its  angles  are  marked  by  slender  turrets. 

The  main  building  presents  several  stories  the 
lower  one  carrying  an  open  arcade  and  the  two 
upper  filled  with  fine  windows  and  profusely  dec- 
orated with  statuary.  The  steep  roof  carries  up 
the  eye  to  a  lofty  ridge  and  is  crowded  wit!i 
dormer  wmdows  in  several  tiers. 

The  belfry  tower  rises  from  the  center  and  is 
finished  by  a  richly  ornamented  spire.  The  gabl 
ends  are  adorned  by  recessed  arches  and  b^•''p^n- 
nacles,  but  the  long  side  of  the  building  is  con- 
sidered of  chief  importance. 

The  Gothic  style  in  Germanv  is  largely  intlu- 
enced  by  the  national  character.  It  bears  general 
points  of  resemblance  to  French  and  En-lish 
(^othic.  but  no  more,  and  except  for  one  or\wo 
glorious  exceptions  it  is  impossible  to  treat  it 
with  the  enthusiasm  inspired  by  the  beautiful  ex- 
amples described.  The  German  medi.xval  arch- 
itect delighted  in  towers  an.l  spires,  and  plenty 
of  them.  These  spires  became  extremely  elab- 
orate and  consisted  almost  wholly  of  ojxmi  trac- 
ery. Their  ornamentation  was  jirofuse  but  rare- 
ly elegant.     There  was  a  tendency  to  cover  all 


e 


119 


surfaces  with  many  lines  and  intricate  and  un- 
meaning tracery,  more  confusing-  than  pleasing. 
The  value  of  the  plain  surfaces  as  contrasts  to  the 
openings  was  often  destroyed  by  a  superfluitv 
of   mouldings   and    ornaments   of   various   sorts. 

The  later  Gothic  work  of  Germany  is  far  less 
attractive  than  the  earlier  when  German  Gothic 
bore  a  close  resemblance  to  the  French.  Th.e 
n:agnificent  Cologne  cathedral,  the  greatest 
Gothic  cathedral  of  Germany  is  an  illustration  of 
tliis  rcsemljlance,  and  has  been  styled  the  "grown- 
u]i  daughter  of  Amiens." 

The  plan  of  Cologne  is  one  of  the  most  regular 
and  symmetrical  of  the  mediaeval  cathedrals,  and 
lias  been  carried  out  with  scarcely  any  deviation 
from  the  original  plan,  though  it  has  never  been 
completely  finished.  The  structure  is  of  stone, 
vaulted  throughout  and  surrounded  by  a  forest 
of  flying  buttresses  with  spires.  Through 
centuries 

"The  stone  to  conscious  beauty  grew" 
in  the  building  of  this  wonderful  cathedral. 

The  magnificent  boldness  of  the  design  and  its 
orderly  regularity,  with  the  delicacy  and  beauty 
of  the  tracery,  have  caused  it  to  be  ranked  as 
the  queen  of  Gothic  cathedrals,  though  its  uni- 
form color  gives  it  a  somewhat  cold  and  unin- 
teresting appearance  to  many.  This  coldness  of 
color  has,  however,  been  greatl}-  relieved  by  the 
numerous  beautiful  windows  presented  to  the 
cathedral  at  vari(Uis  times. 


120 


"^he  hasty  multitude  admiring  entered: 
and  the  Work,  some  praise,  and  some  the  ar- 
chitect." 

—Milton. 


121 


RENAISSANCE.  AKCHITEC= 
TUKE 

The  mediaeval  era  saw  the  development  of  that 
"miracle  of  song","  the  Gothic  type  of  architec- 
ture to  its  greatest  perfection.  A  change,  how- 
ever, was  coming  over  the  restless  spirits  of  men, 
and  new  fashions  in  buildings  as  in  other  things 
were  imminent. 

Under  the  more  favorable  conditions  of  social 
life  as  the  pall  of  medijeeval  ignorance  and  su- 
perstition lifted  and  the  iron  hand  of  despotism 
relaxed,  men  in  general  awakened  from  their  stu- 
pefied condition,  and  letters  and  culture  were 
revived.  The  study  of  Greek  and  Latin  became 
the  fashion,  bringing  with  it  a  knowledge  of  the 
Greek  classic  design,  in  use  centuries  before. 

The  strain  of  old  blood,  the  devotion  of  their 
ancestors  to  classic  ideas,  reappeared  in  these 
sixteenth  century  Italians,  and  they  sprang  back 
into  the  forms  of  fifteen  centuries  earlier. 

The  Renaissance  style  is,  therefore,  a  mixture 
of  Greek  and  Roman  forms,  in  which  both  the 
Greek   lintel    and    the   Roman    form   appear ;   in 

122 


which  the  culuuin  is  freely  intro(kiced,  but  rather 
as  an  enibelHshmcnt  than  structurally.  That  is, 
the  columns  could  be  removed,  and  the  struc- 
ture still  stand. 

Tne  plan  of  buildings  became  uniform  and 
symmetrical,  as  the  picturesqueness  of  the  Gothic 
was  abandoned.  The  architrave  and  pediment 
were  constantly  employed,  with  classic  porticoes, 
and  small  pediments  over  windows.  Lofty  pilas- 
ters, running  through  two  and  even  more  stories 
of  a  building,  were  introduced  by  a  noted  Italian 
architect,  Palladio,  who  combined  the  dififerent 
orders  in  the  most  daring  manner,  and  who  was 
imitated  by  a  host  of  less  skillful  designers  with 
disastrous  results. 

Openings  were  both  square  and  semicircular 
at  the  top,  and  much  attention  was  given  to  the 
treatment  of  windows,  which  in  the  facades  of 
the  Italian  palaces  or  wealthy  houses  were  ad- 
mirably disposed  for  effect. 

In  general  the  roof  was  low,  the  parapet  alone 
often  forming  the  sky  line,  the  pediment  and  the 
dome  being  depended  upon  for  effectiveness  in 
outline.  The  dome  was,  in  fact,  the  crowning 
feature   of   Renaissance   architecture. 

The  sculpture  of  the  Gothic  period  was  but 
little  used  on  exteriors,  except  in  the  greatly  de- 
based form  of  the  seventeenth  century ;  the  archi- 
tects relying  upon  richly  colored  marbles,  molded 
tracery  and  arcades,  for  the  splendor  of  their 
facades.  The  constant  use  of  the  column  for 
decorative  as  well  as  constructive  purposes  was 
characteristic.  They  used  it  in  the  jambs  of 
doorways  and  in  the  place  of  the  mullion  in  trac- 

123 


criid  windows.  Tliey  relieved  llie  harshness  of 
angles  l)y  employing  columns  as  ornaments  and 
in  many  other  ways.  The  doorways  were  often 
very  beautiful,  and  sometimes  sheltered  by  ele- 
gant and  graceful  porticoes.  Round-headed 
oj)enings  were  ranged  alongside  pointed  ones, 
l)Oth  being  used  in  the  same  building. 

Balustrades  were  employed  in  various  situa- 
tions, most  conmionly  on  upper  stories  before 
windows  or  as  parapets  on  the  tops  of  buildings. 
Pilasters  were  much  used,  in  fact,  almost  taking 
the  place  of  columns  on  some  buildings,  and 
fluted  like  columns.  They  are  composed  with 
bases  and  capitals  likewise,  and  support  entabla- 
tures just  as  columns  do,  being  often  used  as  an 
excuse  for  appl\-ing  an  entablature. 

It  is  seen,  therefore,  that  symmetry,  uniform- 
ity and  constant  repetition,  are  leading  principles 
in  Renaissance  design,  which  admits  both  of  sim- 
plicity and  elaboration.  The  earlier  and  purer 
examples  are  marked  by  the  former,  while 
grandiose  effects  characterize  the  later  period. 

The  most  conspicuous  example  of  Italian  Re- 
naissance is,  of  course,  the  church  of  St.  Peter's 
at  RoTne.  It  was  intended  to  surpass  any  cathe- 
dral in  Europe,  and  in  vastness  at  least  the  proj- 
ect was  carried  out,  though  the  tremendous  scale 
of  the  building  fails  of  entire  appreciation,  ow- 
ing to  the  front  facade  cutting  off  the  lower  part 
of  the  great  dome,  so  that  to  form  a  just  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  building  it  is  necessary  to 
view  it  from  the  rear. 

It  was  said  by  Goethe  of  St.  Peter's,  that  "In 
tiiis  church  one  learns  how  art  as  well  as  nature 

125 


can  set  aside  every  standard  of  measurement." 
But  all  authorities  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  no- 
lileness  of  the  resulting  product.  On  the  one 
liand  observers  go  into  raptures  of  delight  and 
bestow  on  St.  Peter's  the  foremost  place  in  eccle- 
siastical structures ;  while  many  critics  consider 
it  distinguished  not  more  by  its  magnitude  than 
by  its  deformities,  and  the  total  absence  of  har- 
mony in  the  connecting  parts,  "while  gorgeous- 
ness  and  poverty  are  the  characteristics  of  its 
detail." 

It  is  universally  agreed,  however,  that  archi- 
tecture has  never  produced  a  more  magnificent 
object  than  the  wonderful  dome,  which  was  Mi- 
chael Angelo's  masterpiece  and  the  realization 
of  his  boast  that  "he  would  take  the  dome  of  the 
Pantheon  and  hang  it  in  mid-air."  The  last 
eighteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  creating 
this  wonderful  dome,  a  work  of  the  greatest 
teauty  of  design  and  boldness  of  construction. 

He  did  not  live,  however,  to  complete  the  gen- 
eral design,  and  the  present  basilica  is  the  result 
of  centuries  of  work  by  many  artists,  each  to 
some  extent  undoing  the  work  of  his  predecessor, 
and  to  a  great  extent  destroying  the  simplicity  of 
the  original  grand  design. 

The  magnificent  dome,  which  is  the  chief  glory 
of  the  exterior,  is  also  the  redeeming  feature  of 
the  interior,  its  sublime  concave  adorned  by  beau- 
tiful frescoes  from  the  same  great  master.  The 
impressiveness  of  the  massive  piers  and  arches 
and  prodigious  vaulting,  is  marred  by  the  inap- 
propriate and  mixed  character  of  the  decorations, 
wliicli  include  every  period  of  the  Italian  Rcnais- 

126 


The    Farrvese    Palace,    R.ome 


sance,  and  arc  utterly  out  of  place  in  a  sacred 
building. 

The  Farmese  Palace,  also  at  Rome,  is  to 
the  last  degree  an  orderly  and  regular  Renais- 
sance composition,  executed  in  brick  walling, 
with  travertine  dressings  taken  from  the  Colosse- 
um. Columned  pilasters  appear  as  frames  to 
the  windows,  which  have  shallow  pediments  as 
headings.  The  angles  of  the  building  are  rusti- 
cated, and  there  is  a  great  height  of  unpierced 
wall  above  each  story  of  windows,  and  each  story 
is  marked  by  well  defined  string  courses.  The 
whole  is  crowned  by  a  bold  and  highly  enriched 
cornice  which  was  a  special  feature  of  the  design 
and  an  unusual  one  at  Rome. 

The  building  is  a  dignified  and  impressive 
mass,  and  a  fine  example  of  the  noble,  palatial 
mansions  erected  in  the  sixteenth  century,  before 
the  jirinciplcs  of  Roman  architecture  were  turned 

127 


St.    Mark's    Library    at    Venice 


toi)sy  turvy  b;.'  laUr  architects.  The  l^anicse 
]'alace  is  considered  to  be  in  ^Michael  Angelo's 
best  and  most  restrained  style. 

The  next  g^reat  sroiip  of  Renaissance  l)uil(hn;j:s 
is  to  be  fountl  at  \'enice,  wliere  the  style  for  a 
long-  time,  however,  retained  many  Gothic  ele- 
ments. As  time  went  on,  these  were  lost  si;"ht 
of,  and  the  st}le  matured  into  one  of  great  rich- 
ness, not  to  say  ostentation. 

Facing  the  Ducal  Palace,  on  the  west  side  of 
St.  Alark's  Scjuarc,  is  the  beautiful  Library  of  St. 
Mark,  the  work  of  a  prominent  sixteenth  cen- 
tury \'enetian  architect,  and  considered  l)y  many 
the  finest  thing  of  its  time.  The  superb  front 
which  faces  the  square  is  repeated  on  the  facade 
facing  the  sea.  The  design  of  this  facade  has 
been  rather  closely  followed  in  some  nineteenth 
century  buildings,  notably  the  Carlton  Club  front. 
Pall  Mall,  London. 

The  main  motive  is  seen  in  tbe  entablatures 
over  engaged  columns  of  1>.e  Doric  order  in  the 
lower  story  and  Ionic  in  the  upper,  combined 
with  an  arrangement  of  arcades  between  the  col- 
umns, the  spaces  so  filled  with  beautiful  sculp- 
tured reliefs  that  almost  no  plain  wall  surface  is 
visible.  The  upper  story  repeats  the  design  of 
the  lower  and  the  entablatures  are  profusely  en- 
riched. 

In  the  second  story  the  Ionic  columns  are 
raised  upon  pedestals,  and  the  smaller  impost  col- 
umns on  each  side,  from  which  the  arches  spring, 
are  raised  likewise.  The  wide  frieze — three  feet 
in  width — of  the  entablature  above  these  columns 
is   thickly    set    with    beautiful    sculptured    reliefs. 

129 


Even  the  volutes  of  the  capitals  are  filled  with 
foliage,  and  the  keystones  of  both  arcades  repre- 
sent sculptured  heads,  lion  and  human  heads 
alternating. 

Though  modern  ideas  have  reacted  from  the 
decorated  facade,  and  inclined  to  plain,  severe 
treatment,  it  is  impossible  to  view  these  master- 
pieces of  European  architecture  without  feeling 
the  impressiveness  of  elaborate  carving  upon  im- 
portant buildings.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  these 
beautiful  examples  of  ancient  art  belong  to  a 
higher  and  nobler  order  of  architecture  than  our 
plain,  undecorated  buildings. 

St.  Mark's  Library  is  beautifully  proportioned, 
and  the  use  of  order  over  order  with  large  arched 
voids  in  the  spaces  between  the  columns  pro- 
duces a  fine  pictorial  effect.  The  parapets  and 
statues  crowning  the  top  of  the  facade  are  in 
the  style  of  the  period.  The  later  Renaissance 
architects,  however,  made  but  little  use  of 
statuary,  and  even  sculptures  became  rare  ex- 
cept for  the  fantastic  and  inferior  decoration  of 
the  gilded  Rococo  style,  so  marked  a  contrast 
with  the  delicate  and  refined  sculpture  of  the  early 
Renaissance. 

The  period  of  Italian  style  just  alluded  to,  and 
known  as  the  Rococo  style,  was  a  debased  appli- 
cation of  Renaissance  principles.  It  consisted  of 
exaggerated  and  badly  designed  detail,  columns 
placed  in  front  of  pilasters  and  cornices  made  to 
break  around  them.  Other  features  are  broken 
and  curved  pediments  and  twisted  shafts  of  col- 
umns.    Excessive  ornnmcntation  without  regard 

130 


to  fitness  or   suitability   and  much   gilding  were 
characteristics  of  the  interiors. 

The  series  of  beautiful  palaces  and  villas  which 
were  erected  in  Florence,  the  suburbs  of  Rome, 
and  along  the  Grand  Canal  in  \'enice,  bear  the 
impress  of  a  high  order  of  artistic  design. 

The  severe  Florentine  palaces  belonging  to  the 
early  period  of  the  style,  displayed  much  plain 
wall  surface,  and  the  classic  orders  were  used  in 
a  restricted,  unobtrusive  way  and  with  pilasters 
in  preference  to  columns.  They  were  the  work  of 
the  famous  Florentine,  Bramante,  and  are  dis- 
tinguished for  great  dignity  and  impressiveness. 
At  Venice,  an  almost  endless  series  of  palaces 
and  houses  are  to  be  seen,  all  of  them  rich,  though 
not  of  great  size,  for  land  was  costly.  The  Ducal 
Palace  on  the  Grand  Canal  has  been  already  re- 
ferred to,  which  while  embodying  Gothic  ele- 
ments was  rebuilt  in  part  in  the  Renaissance 
spirit.  The  marble  front  of  the  facade  facing 
the  inner  covirt  is  a  wilderness  of  elegant  carving, 
statues,  wreaths,  columns,  delicately  wrought 
balustrades  and  beautiful  bas-reliefs.  The  panel- 
ing of  the  great  outer  staircase  is  of  beautifully 
wrought  marble  of  every  hue,  and  everywhere 
decoration  is  lavished  with  a  prodigal  hand. 

In  the  architecture  of  these  \'enetian  palaces 
one  sees  first  a  row  of  Corinthian  columns  up- 
holding a  richly  ornamented  frieze,  while  Gothic 
arches  form  an  arcade  within  the  pillars  and  are 
repeated  in  the  second  story. 

The  difference  in  style  between  the  severe  and 
simple  stateliness  of  the  buildings  in  Florence 
and  Rome  and  the  exquisite  delicacy  of  \"enice 

131 


Villa  Medici,  near  Rome 

is  a  noticeable  feature.  The  beautifully  carved 
balconies  and  cornices  of  the  latter,  with  their 
rows  of  arcaded  windows,  are  familiar  pictures. 

It  seems  passing  strange  that  the  Italian  Re- 
naissance architect,  while  laying  so  much  stress 
upon  the  use  of  the  classic  orders,  should  have 
ignored  completely  the  stately  Greek  portico, 
which  is  scarcely  known  in  the  Italian  national 
architecture,  though  widely  adopted  in  other 
countries  by  architects  practicing  the  Italian  style. 
In  the  Villa  Medici  there  is  a  suggestion  of  in- 
sulated columns  in  the  entrance,  but  they  are  so 
meager  and  so  widely  set  as  to  produce  a  weak 
effect  not  in  keeping  with  the  imposing  front  of 
tlic  building. 

132 


As  the  ancient  Roman  i)atrician  liad  his  villa 
outside  the  city  walls,  so  the  wealthy  Italian  no- 
bles oi  the  middle  centuries  built  themselves 
pleasure  houses  in  the  suburbs.  The  Villa  Aledici 
on  the  Pincian  Hill,  near  Rome,  inay  be  illustrated 
as  among-  the  most  architecturally  worthy  out  of 
the  many  suburban  villas  of  Rome.  The  "hill 
of  gardens  and  villas,"  as  Ovid  calls  the  Pincian, 
so  thickly  was  it  set  with  the  old  Roman  pleasure 
places,  was  a  favorite  location  for  the  villas  of 
the  -talian  Renaissance,  and  the  Pincian  Hill, 
the  site  of  the  ]Medici  Villa,  is  now,  as  then, 
the  favorite  promenade  of  the  Roman  aristoc- 
racy. There  may  be  seen  "a  fashionable  halo 
of  sunsets  and  pink  parasols,"  in  the  broad 
walks  and  drives  of  the  terraces,  and  far  in  the 
distance  a  silver  line  marks  the  sea  melting  into 
the  horizon. 

Here  in  the  days  of  imperial  Rome  was  the 
famous  villa  of  Lucullus,  where  he  gave  his  cele- 
brated feast  to  Cicero  and  Pompey,  for  which  he 
ordered  the  menu  by  merely  mentioning  to  a  slave 
that  he  would  dine  that  night  in  the  hall  of  Apol- 
lo. The  banquet  is  said  to  have  cost  a  sum  equal 
to  $10,000. 

How  extensive  were  these  ancient  villas 
we  may  conjecture  from  Pliny's  description 
of  his  own,  in  which  he  describes  forty-six 
rooms.  Pie  tells  us  of  dressing  rooms  with 
hot  and  cold  water,  swimming  ])ools  and  plunges, 
bathrooms  with  suites,  porticoes  and  galleries, 
and  a  large  pleasure  place  enclosed  by  plane  trees 
and  vines,  with  fountains  and  marble  summer- 
houses.    The  Renaissance  architects  prided  them- 

133 


selves  on  accuralcl}  cop_\ini;  all  these  features 
of  their  patrician  ancestors,  and  their  villas  have 
served  as  models  in  all  other  lands  where  wealth 
has  attempted  poetic  surrounding's.  Not  a  few 
modern  American  country  seats  are  copied  from 
these  Italian  models. 

The  Villa  Aledici  fronts  on  a  beautiful  garden, 
its  facade — said  to  have  been  the  design  of 
Michael  Angelo — richly  adorned  with  panels, 
and  niches  nlled  with  classic  carvings  excavated 
from  the  ruins  of  old  Roman  temples.  The 
brilliancy  of  its  yellow  walls  is  relieved  by  the 
white  marble  panels  and  softened  by  the  shadows 
cast  by  the  wings  and  the  portico. 

The  Mlla  Madama  was  another  of  the  crea- 
tions of  Italian  Renaissance.  Though  the  build- 
ing as  it  now  stands  consists  of  only  the  eastern 
loggia  and  adjoining  rooms,  the  decorations  of 
this  interior  have  made  it  famous. 

The  Villa  Madama  is  situated  upon  the  slopes 
of  the  Monte  Mario,  one  of  the  highest  and  bold- 
est of  the  hills  lying-  about  Rome.  A  winding 
carriage  road  brings  one  to  this  now  deserted 
villa,  an  architectural  gem  built  from  designs  by 
Raffaelle.  The  neglected  halls  contain  beautiful 
frescoes  and  arabesques,  by  celebrated  artists  of 
the  period,  which  fortunately  have  been  engraved 
before  being  hopelessly  lost.  The  frescoes  con- 
sist of  a  series  of  beautiful  pictures  representing 
the  sports  of  Satyrs  and  their  loves,  while  a  deep 
frieze  on  one  of  the  deserted  chambers  still  shows 
angels,  flowers,  caryatides,  etc.  The  entire  sur- 
face of  the  walls,  pilasters  and  vaulting,  are  cov- 
ered   with    decoration    in    i)laster    relief    and    in 

135 


fresco.  One  pilasicr.  for  inslaiicc,  is  carved  all 
over  witli  ears  of  wheat,  some  standing-  upright, 
some  gracefully  drooping.  Another  is  covered 
with  a  network  of  strawberry  leaves,  interspersed 
with  birds  in  difierent  positions.  These  reliefs 
h.ave  all  the  charm  of  free-hand  work,  though 
i:i  reality  they  were  executed  from  moulds. 

Raffael,  painter  and  sculptor,  was  also  an 
architect  of  distinction,  a  i)upil  of  the  best  of 
Florentine  architects — liramante.  The  architect 
of  the  Mlla  Madama  was  a  pupil  of  Rafifaelle's 
in  turn,  hence  the  charming  frescoes.  The  Mlla 
>.iadama  was  designed  to  reproduce  the  features 
of  a  Roman  villa  in  the  Renaissance  style,  and  is 
the  perfection  of  simple  beauty  in  the  Doric  style 
even  in  its  ruined  condition.  The  recessed  and 
arcaded  facade  facing  the  garden  is  especially 
beautiful.  It  is  impossible  to  convey  in  words, 
th.e  charm  of  these  remains  of  an  art  and  a  social 
life  long  since  passed  away.  lUU  they  are  still 
fruitful  models  and  an  inspiration  to  the  archi- 
tect of  everv  asfe. 


FRENCH     RENAISSANCE. 

Xot  till  the  new  style  had  become  well  estal)- 
lished  in  the  land  of  its  birth  did  it  reach  France, 
nor  was  it  there  received  with  much  acclaim. 
Xot  easily  did  French  architects  let  go  of  their 
beloved  Gothic  vaults,  ilying  buttresses  and  trac- 
eried  windows,  and  even  when  Renaissance  fea- 
tures began  to  appear,  the  Gothic  forms  and  prin- 
ciples were  retained,  producing  a  transitional 
137 


style,  in  which  steep  roofs  and  lofty  towers  were 
mingled  with  rows  of  arcades  and  mullioned 
Gothic  windows  with  Renaissance  pilasters,  and 
"statues,  motley  as  man's  memory.'' 

The  reigning-  monarch  of  the  sixteenth  century 
was  Francis  I.,  noted  for  his  literary  and  artistic 
acquirements.  The  Italian  style  appealed  to  him 
and  he  made  it  fashionable.  The  buildings  of  this 
early  Renaissance  were  chiefly  chateaux  for  the 
nobility,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  picturesque 
country  environment  of  these  dwellings  or  castle- 
houses  had  an  influence  in  the  retaining  of  so 
many  Gothic  features.  Unlike  the  Roman  and 
Venetian  palaces  where  the  facade  alone  was  of 
chief  importance,  these  noblemen's  houses  were 
seen  from  every  side,  and  accordingly  picturesque 
effects  were  more  sought  than  regularity.  This 
phase  of  architecture  is  illustrated  in  the  famous 
Chateaux  of  Blois — an  immense  castle,  parts  of 
which  were  executed  in  three  different  periods  of 
French  architecture.  The  exterior  of  the  early 
part  shows  extreme  picturesqueness  of  outline 
almost  amounting  to  wildness ;  while  on  the  side 
fronting  the  inner  quadrangle,  in  the  early  Re- 
naissance period,  the  parts  are  designed  symmet- 
rically. Both  the  individual  features  of  the  wing 
and  their  combination  are  graceful  and  pleasing. 
The  elegance  of  some  of  the  carvings  is  unsur- 
passed;  the  beautiful  shell  ornament  which  is 
such  a  feature  of  Venetian  decoration  being  freely 
employed.  The  rich,  crowning  cornice,  and  the 
dormers  are  elaborately  carved,  as  also  the  shafts 
of  alternate  columns  of  the  arcade.  Pilasters  are 
introduced  between  square,  mullioned  windows  in 

138 


each  story  of  tlic  facade.  The  brick  walls  are 
profusely  dressed  with  stone  at  the  angles  and 
around  the  openings.  The  dormers,  high  and 
sharply  pointed,  have  little  pilasters  and  rose  w'in- 
dows  in  the  center  of  the  gables. 

These  French  chateaux,  which  are  in  truth 
irregular  Gothic  castles  with  a  coating  of  Renais- 
sance detail,  are  among  the  most  interesting  ex- 
amples of  the  architecture  of  the  early  French 
Renaissance. 

Many  of  the  most  interesting  chateaux  of  this 
period  are  to  be  found  in  the  southern  part  of 
France  and  are  subjects  of  special  interest  and 
admiration  to  travelers.  Meantime  another  style 
was  making  headway,  as  Italian  architects  were 
imported  to  superintend  buildings  constructed 
after  Italian  classic  design.  These  imported  ar- 
chitects were  responsible  for  the  earlier  buildings, 
notably  the  palace  of  Fontainebleau,  on  which 
three  or  four  Italian  architects  were  engaged, 
among  them  the  celebrated  Vignola,  who  appears 
to  have  had  a  more  correct  taste  than  perhaps 
any  other  Italian  architect  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. The  best  part  of  French  Renaissance  was 
due  to  his  influence,  and  in  his  designs  we  find  a 
more  modest  use  of  the  orders,  a  limitation  of  one 
order  of  columns  or  pilasters  to  each  story,  rather 
than  the  extravagances  of  the  later  French  school. 
The  plan  at  Fontainebleau  appears,  however,  to 
have  been  extremely  irregular,  and  it  is  chiefly  in- 
teresting for  the  sumptuousness  of  its  interiors. 
one  of  which  is  here  presented. 

The  gables  and  dormers  which  had  so  persist- 
ently held  their  own  now  gave  way  to  pediments 

139 


^QJ^ 


and  Ixilustradcs.  Vertical  couplinij  of  windows 
replace  the  Gothic  nmllions,  with  horizontal  en- 
tablatures. The  roofs  remain  high  in  French 
architecture,  and  that  peculiarly  French  feature, 
the  Mansard  roof,  was  introduced  at  this  period. 
These  high  roofs  allowed  of  dormers,  a  feature 
quite  unknown  to  Italian  Renaissance,  and  these 
dormers  were  treated  with  classic  details,  such  as 
pilasters  and  arched  or  broken  pediments  sur- 
mounted by  carved  figures.  Columns  were  used, 
each  story  having  its  own  order.  Sculpture  was 
much  employed  in  external  enrichment,  and 
though  often  luxuriant,  is  usually  in  good  taste. 
Interiors  of  lavishly  decorated  wood  and  stucco, 
treated  in  white  and  gold,  were  a  feature  of  the 
later  French  style  in  the  Louis  AlV.  period,  in 
place  of  the  carved  wood  paneling  of  the  Gothic 
period  and  of  the  early  Renaissance.  In  France, 
gilding  and  mirrors  took  the  place  of  the  stucca 
work  and  costly  mosaics  of  Italy.  This  style  of 
decoration  is  to  our  eyes  painfully  extravagant 
and  in  wretcned  taste.  In  the  succeeding  century 
these  ideas  became  greatly  modified  however. 

Renaissance  buildings  of  a  domestic  character 
in  France  are  distinguished  from  the  Italian  bv 
their  large  extent  and  ample  environment.  Nar- 
row fronts  like  the  \'enetian  palaces  with  open 
arcades  are  replaced  in  France  by  more  variety 
of  treatment,  the  surface  of  the  walls  being  much 
broken  up  and  conveying  an  impression  of  large 
space. 

The  domestic  work  of  the  French  Renaissance 
is  in  truth  of  more  value  and  interest  than  the 
great  palaces  of  the  period,  as  \'ersailles,  which 

141 


though   of  vast   size,   possesses   no  architectural 
features  of  merit  or  interest. 

As  an  example  of  the  later  work  of  the  style, 
the  Opera  House  of  Paris  must  be  included, 
though  some  delicate  and  pleasing  effects  are  ob- 
tained with  a  combination  of  marble,  bronze  and 
gilding,  slightly  sprinkled  with  enamel,  in  the 
detail  of  the  facade. 

SPANISH    RE,NAISSANCE. 

In  Spain  this  style  was  introduced  near  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  was 
marked  by  the  three  phases  of  progression 
which  have  been  described  in  other  countries. 
The  early  style  retained  many  essentially  Gothic 
features,  such  as  pinnacles,  gargoyles  and  para- 
pets, and  resembled  the  French  fusion  of  classic 
and  Gothic.  While  the  general  design  was  sim- 
ple, it  was  overloaded  with  extravagant  ornamen- 
tation, which,  however  excellent  in  workman- 
ship, imparted  a  crowded  and  overladen  appear- 
ance to  the  structure. 

To  this  order  of  Spanish  Renaissance  l)elongs 
the  Town  Hall  of  Seville,  built  in  1559.  which  is, 
however,  one  of  the  handsomest  if  not  the  hand- 
somest municipal  building  in  Spain.  The  exterior 
is  almost  covered  with  a  mass  of  sculptured  orna- 
ment, not  only  the  capitals,  but  the  shafts  them- 
selves of  the  columns  being  profusely  carved 
with  an  extraordinary  variety  of  fanciful  orna- 
ment. The  photograph  gives  the  principal  facade 
of  this  building,  in  which,  while  well  treated  in 
the  mass,  the  individual  features  have  been  loaded 
with  an  extravagant  amount  of  ornament.     The 

143 


Town   Hall,   Seville 


Stone  work  is  profuseh-  carved  and  the  columned 
pilasters  slig'ht  and  fanciful  in  form,  combining 
baluster-shaped  columns  as  if  of  wood  turned  in  a 
lathe,  with  Ionic  and  Corinthian  capitals.  The 
same  forms  appear  in  the  balustrade  of  the  para- 
pet. The  pilasters  themselves  are  decorated  in 
low  relief,  and  fanciful  sculpture  of  doves  and 
cupids  is  abundantly  used  in  the  frieze  over  each 
division  of  the  front  and  the  openings.  The  iron 
Rcjas  or  grilles  in  the  lower  story  are  effective 
features. 

To  this  phase  succeeded  a  style  marked  by 
plain  and  simple  dignity,  modeled  on  the  best 
examples  of  Italian  Renaissance,  and  which  pro- 
duced many  notable  buildings,  such  as  the  Es-n- 
rial  palace  at  Madrid  and  the  Alcazar  of  Toled  i. 
The  uncompleted  palace  of  Charles  V.  exhibits 
this    sixteenth    century    style.      The  plan   of   the 

144 


palace  was  a  square,  205  ket  each  way,  and  in- 
closing a  court  100  feet  in  dianietcr,  where  ap- 
pears the  fountain  shown  in  the  p'hotograpli, 
which  was  a  feature  of  the  inner  quadrangle  wall 
opening  on  a  caurt. 

To  construct  this  palace,  Charles  V.  had  the 
poor  taste  to  tear  down  a  great  portion  of  tlie 
Alhambra  and  build  in  the  Renaissance  or 
the  period  a  structure  which  never  was  completed. 
Imposing  in  style,  it  is  too  cold  and  forbidding 
to  be  linked  to  the  lightness  and  grace  of  the 
Moorish  palace  and  its  unfinished  and  roofies; 
condition  presents  a  scene  of  extreme  desolation. 

The  treatment  of  the  external  facade,  whicli 
was  two  stories  in  height,  was  with  columns  of 
the  Ionic  order  above  the  lower  story  of  rusticated 
stone.  Bull's-eye  windows  were  introduced  above 
are  arched  openings  in  both  stories.  The  palace 
was  built  of  a  golden  colored  stone,  witb  the  cen- 
ter of  each  facade  enriched  with  colored  marbles, 


Fountain    of   Charles    V.    Granad: 
145 


Pellerhaus,  Nuremberg 


with  fine  sculpture.  Though  never  roofed  in  or 
occupied,  the  building  is  considered  the  purest 
type  of  Renaissance  design  in  Spain,  and  an  im- 
portant specimen  of  the  style. 

The  correct  style  of  this  middle  period  was, 
however,  too  cold  to  suit  the  Spanish  taste,  and 
later  architects  introduced  the  debased  rococo 
style  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries, 
in  which  fantastic  and  exaggerated  forms  are 
employed  without  reference  to  good  taste  or  suit- 
ability. There  are  many  interesting  though 
scattered  examples  of  the  Spanish  architecture  of 
this  period,  chieflv  in  detached  features  of  the 
smaller  churches  and  municipal  buildings. 

GERMAN  AND  BE.LGIAN 
RENAISSANCE. 

Probably  few  European  cities  retain  their  me- 
diaeval aspect  to  so  marked  a  degree  as  the  city 
of  Nuremberg,  wdiich  is  still  surrounded  by  its 
ancient  feudal  walls  and  moats.  The  general 
type  of  its  architecture  is  Gothic,  but  the  rich  de- 
tails are  usually  borrowed  from  the  Renaissance. 
Most  of  the  private  dwellings  date  back  to  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  even  the  new  houses  imitate 
the  lofty  peaked  gables,  oriel  windows,  red-tiled 
roofs  and  stone  balconies  of  the  old  dwellings. 

The  almost  single  exception  to  tliis  picturesque 
style  is  the  Pcllcr-haus,  an  edifice  in  the  Italian 
style  erected  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  an 
example  of  rich  domestic  architecture,  showing 
also  the  richly  treated  stepped  gable  of  the  roof, 
in  fantastic  German  style  of  this  period.  The 
French   method  of  an   inner  court-yard  is  here 

147 


Ro^v   of  Houses   at   Brussels 

adopted,  and  oriel  windows  running  through  both 
stories  above  the  arcade  below.  The  stories  are 
marked  by  richly  decorated  cornices. 

Buildings  of  pure  Renaissance  type  are  scarce 
indeed  in  Germany,  though  there  are  some  pic- 
turesque buildings  that  present  a  curiously  blend- 
ed mixture  of  regular  classic  forms,  but  very 
irregulai  in  their  proportions  and  positions ;  such 
as  fluted  pilasters  with  capitals  and  a  pediment, 
with  mullioned  windows  and  high  pitched  gables, 
and  dormers  breaking  into  the  roof.  The  large 
roofs,  containing  many  stories,  are  indeed  the 
prominent  feature  of  German  town  bouses  of  this 
period,  displa)ing  many  tiers  of  dormer  windows 
rising  one  above  the  other. 

This  feature  is  illustrated  in  the  row  of  town 
houses  in  Brussels,  Belgium.  Such  architecture 
possesses  little  interest  for  the  seeker  after  beauty 
of  proportion  and  chasteness  of  detail. 

148 


"And  noil}  thou  bidds't  me  Vieto  each  lofty  aisle. 
Ghen  mid  the  solemn  grandeur  muse  aWhite. 
These    clustering  pillars    raised  With  Wondrous 

toil. 
The  pointed  arch  and  column  Well  combine; 
A  groVe-liXe.  long  perspective  thus  to  giVe. 
Where  statued  niche  and  blazoned  panel  line 
She  massive  Walls." 


149 


8 


ENGLISH  ARCHITECTURE,. 


London    Tower 


In  England,  as  in  other  lands,  we  find  religious 
feeling  dominating  its  architecture.  In  this  sea- 
girt isle  of  our  ancestors,  the  history  of  architec- 
ture begins  with  the  building  of  churches,  and 
therefore  we  must  use  churches  and  cathedrals 
to  trace  its  progress. 

The  first  buildings  of  the  kind  were  small  and 
rude,  and  of  these  almost  no  examples  remain, 
though  fragments  and  details  are  preserved  in 
some  of  the  rebuilt  churches.  In  fact,  the  his- 
tory of  architecture  in  England  is  a  pulling  down 

150 


of  the  st\Ie  of  one  period  to  rc'])lacc  with  the  in- 
coming" fashion. 

Of  many  of  the  noblest  Enghsh  cathedrals  it 
may  be  said — 

"Here  once  there  stood  a  homely  wooden  church 
Which  slow  devotion  nobly  changed  for  this." 

The  Xorman  form  of  Romanesque  came  in 
about  the  eleventh  century,  and  the  great  abbey 
church  of  Westminster  was  first  built  in  that 
style  by   Edward   the   Confessor. 

"In  Xorman  strength  that  abbey  frowned 
With  massive  arches  broad  and  round." 

The  main  features  of  the  Xorman  style  were 
massive  piers,  round-headed  arches,  small  and 
narrow  windows  and  projecting  buttresses.  The 
necessities  of  the  times,  rough  and  turlmlent, 
when  bands  of  marauders  were  continually 
marching  up  and  down  with  sword  and  torch — 
gave  the  character  of  the  fortress  to  all  buildings, 
both  church  and  castle.  Xorman  castles  were 
military  posts  as  well  as  residences,  and  planned 
to  serve  both  ends.  There  was  always  a  central 
tower  or  "keep,"  protected  by  a  moat  of  water. 
The  "White  Tower" — the  central  tower  of  the 
mass  of  buildings  known  as  London  Tower — was 
thus  erected  by  William  the  Xorman  in  1078,  and 
the  present  tower  retains  the  appearance  of  plain- 
ness, though  not  rudeness,  which  characterized 
that  ancient  fortress  and  prison  of  state.  An  in- 
teresting recent  discovery  within  its  walls  may 
here  be  mentioned.  In  making  some  repairs  the 
pick  of  the  masons  brought  to  light  the  well  of 
water,  long  centuries  buried,  which  supplied  the 
original  fortress  with  water.     When  opened  up 

151 


the  well  was  found  to  still  carry  30  feet  of  sweet 
spring  water.  It  has  heretofore  been  a  matter 
of  much  speculation  as  to  how  the  fortress  w'as 
supplied  with  water. 

Besides  the  great  abbey  churches,  such  as 
AX'estminster  and  Canterbury,  many  smaller  par- 
ish churches  were  built,  and  a  fine  example  of 
these  is  shown  in  the  picture  of  Iffley  parish 
church  in  Oxfordshire,  with  its  scjuare,  massive 
Xorman  tow^er  and  its  rose  or  wbeel  window  over 
the  entrance ;  a  perfect  type  of  early  Norman 
ecclesiastical  architecture,  with   its 

"Massive  arches  broad  and  round, 
On  ponderous  columns  short  and  low." 

Ififley  church  is  wonderfully  preserved  consid- 
ering its  age,  which  must  be  about  eight  centuries, 
though  little  is  known  of  its  histor}-.  It  bears, 
however,  strong  early  Norman  characteristics.  It 
is  peculiarly  rich  in  doorways,  having  tliree  of 
great  value,  each  dififerent  from  the  other.  The 
southern  doorway  is  enriched  with  sculptured 
flowers,  an  unusual  feature  in  Norman  architec- 
ture ;  it  contains  also  rudely  carved  imitations  of 
Roman  centaurs. 

Norman  piles — "grim  with  the  Northman's 
thought" — have  an  interest  all  their  own.  By  the 
end  of  the  eleventh  century  most  of  the  early 
great  churches  had  been  rebuilt  in  the  Roman- 
esque style,  though  retaining,  as  has  been  men- 
tioned, many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  early 
primitive  structures,  their  massiveness  and 
strength,  with  even  less  of  ornamentation.  No 
style  in  fact  needed  ornament  less,  and  none  could 
better  depend  on  sini]ilc  statcliness  and  solemnity 

152 


Iffley    Parish    Church.    Oxford 


of  outline.  The  architecture  of  London  Tower 
shows  how  the  early  Xorman  style  could  be 
wrought  into  perfectly  finished  forms,  though 
devoid  of  ornament. 

The  early  Xorman  has  been  called  '"the   primer 
of  architecture  in  stone."     Certain  it  is  that  the 

153 


amount  of  ihonqht  and  contrivance  evinced  by 
these  early  builders  is  truly  wonderful ;  and  their 
steady  progress  from  the  rudeness  of  neccssitv 
and  limited  skill  to  the  beauty,  delicacy  and  rich- 
ness of  the  later  Romanesque  is  a  most  interest- 
ing study.  The  pronounced  individualitv 
and  originality  of  the  Romanesque  style  have 
found  appreciation  and  admiration  among  mod- 
ern architects,  who  have  adapted  its  salient  fea- 
tures to  the  details  of  modern  construction  with 
great  skill,  and  obtained  many  fine  effects. 

THE    GOTHIC    E,RA 

We  now  come  to  the  story  of  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  Gothic  type  in  England,  which  is  one  of  fasci- 
nating interest. 

To  know  anything  of  Gothic  architecture  one 
must  go  to  the  cathedrals  and  churches ;  for  in 

"brandling  windows, 
Pillars  of  clustered  reeds,  and  traceried  glass" — 

shines  the  story  of  the  true  Gothic,  and  no  where 
is  the  story  invested  with  more  absorbing  inter- 
est than  in  the  unrivalled  series  of  buildings  of 
that  era  to  be  found  on  English  soil. 

The  Gothic  type  found  here  its  most  congenial 
home,  with  a  home-loving  people,  whose  instincts 
prompted  to  a  less  formal  style  than  the  archi- 
tecture of  southern  lands. 
"Something  more  friendly  with  their  ruder  skies  ; 

The  gray  spire,  molten  now  in  driving  mist. 

The   carvings   touched   to   meanings   new    with 
snow." 

The  first  application  of  Gothic  on  a  large  scale 
is  found  in  the  celebrated  Canterbury  cathedral, 

155 


which  as  we  have  seen,  had  already  been  de- 
stroyed and  rebuilt  several  times.  Of  its  first 
original  structure  nothing"  now  remains  except 
some  rough  stones  and  clinging  cement,  part  of 
the  masonry  of  the  early  Briton  foundation.    But 

"Statlier  still, 

Grows  the  hoary,  grey  church,  whose  story  si- 
lence utters,  and  age  makes  great." 

The  effect  of  the  great  cathedral  towers  in 
warm  gray  seen  throug'h  a  long  vista  of  dark 
street  is  wonderfully  grand.  Its  total  length  is 
514  feet  and  the  length  of  the  choir  180  feet. 
The  central  tower  is  235  feet  in  height,  the  west 
tower  152  feet. 

The  interior  conveys  a  wonderful  effect  of 
lightness  and  grace  for  so  vast  a  space.  The 
"glorious  choir"  is  the  first  important  example  of 
the  early  Gothic  style  in  England.  At  certain 
points,  the  new  work  abuts  against  the  old,  and 
a  plain  Norman  capital  supports  on  one  side  the 
sturdy  round  Norman  arch  with  its  roughly 
axed  zig-zag  cutting  and  on  the  other  the  pointed 
Gothic  arch  with  its  more  delicate  ornamentation. 
One  who  was  an  eye  witness  of  this  transition 
work,  describes  it  thus :  "The  pillars  of  the  old 
and  new  work,"  he  says,  "were  alike  in  form ; 
but  in  the  old  capitals  the  work  was  plain :  in  the 
new  ones  exquisite  in  sculpture.  There  the 
arches  and  everything  else  were  plain  or  sculp- 
tured with  an  ax  and  not  a  chisel ;  but  here,  al- 
most throughout  is  appropriate  sculpture.  No 
marl)le  columns  were  there — but  here  are  in- 
numerable ones.  There,  was  a  ceiling  of  wood, 
decorated  with  excellent  j^ainting ;  but  here  is  a 

156 


East    Window,    Lincoln    Cathedral 

vault  beautifully  constructed  of  stone  and  light 
tufa." 

The  cathedral  was  broug^ht  to  its  present  form 
about  the  time  Columbus  discovered  America. 

Lincoln  Cathedral  is  one  of  the  most  noted  ex- 
amples of  the  Early  English  or  Pointed  style  in 
the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century,  and  it,  too, 
is  the  work  of  successive  Imildcrs.     The  central 

157 


Salisbury  Cathedral,  England 


portion  still  retains  traces  of  the  early  Xornian 
church,  though  the  middle  arch  was  subsequently 
raised  and  pointed.  A  band  of  curious  sculp- 
ture runs  across  the  front,  representing  Bible 
scenes,  a  peculiarity  of  Norman  decoration,  and 
the  interior  also  shows  remains  of  Norman 
origin.  The  font  particularly  is  very  ancient  and 
a  fine  example  of  the  Norman  period.  It  is  built 
of  black  basalt,  square  in  shape  with  grotesque 
monsters  carved  on  its  sides.  Over  the  central 
entrance  is  a  row  of  royal  statues ;  among  them 
is  placed  a  statue  of  the  Swineherd  of  Stowe, 
who,  tradition  says,  gave  a  peck  of  silver  pen- 
nies to  the  building  of  the  cathedral. 

The  Central  tower,  the  linest  in  England  and 
the  highest,  was  formerly  capped  by  an  immense 
timber  spire,  covered  with  lead,  which  rose  to  a 

158 


lu'ight  of  524  feet.  The  spire  was  destroyed  by 
a  tempest ;  but  its  lofty  site  and  tower,  consid- 
ered tlie  grandest  and  most  majestic  in  the  mod- 
ern world,  requires  no  spire. 

The  great  East  window  is  a  fine  example  of 
the  decorative  tracery  of  the  Lancet  style  before 
it  changed  from  the  Geometrical  to  the  Flow- 
ing. Its  arches,  supporting  circles  repeated  on 
difYerent  planes,  show  the  richness  and  freedom 
of  det.'iil  of  this  early  lancet  work,  and  surpass 
in  beauty  the  more  elaborate  design  of  later 
styles. 

The  whole  eastern  part  of  the  church  is  per- 
fect in  its  wa}',  and  it  has  been  said  that  "Eng- 
lish Gothic  sprang  into  being  in  the  Choir  of 
Lincoln."  It  seems  quite  true  that  the  English 
Gothic  is  distinct  from  any  other  style,  and  a 
true  original  creation,  with  qualities  entirely  sep- 
arate from  the  continental  Gothic — a  native 
craftmanship,  so  to  speak. 

A  description  of  Early  Pointed  would  be  in- 
complete without  showing  the  famous  cathedral 
of  Salisbur\-,  which  has  often  been  quoted  as  a 
model  of  this  style,  because,  more  than  the  other 
great  churches,  it  represents  it  from  one  end  to 
the  other,  though  in  cotemporary  portions,  it  is 
far  surpassed  by  parts  of  Lincoln.  The  reason 
for  this  unity  of  parts  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  en- 
joyed the  rare  advantage  of  being  begun  and  fin- 
ished within  a  period  of  forty  years,  from  1220- 
1260. 

It  is  purely  English  in  character,  and  Ferguson 
declares  it  to  be  "the  best  proportioned  and  most 
poetic  design  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

159 


Unlike  Lincoln  its  most  conspicuous  feature  is 
the  richly  adorned  Central  Spire  which  is  the 
loftiest  in  England — 406  feet,  and  dominates  the 
whole  design. 

The  cloisters,  of — 

"Red  brick  and  ashlar  long  and  low, 
With  dormers  and  with  oriels  lit" 

are  of  later  date  than  the  body  of  the  cathedral, 
and  of  rare  charm. 

Salisbury  is  so  well  known  a  subject,  that  we 
pass  to  the  charming  cathedral  of  Wells,  in  the 
venerable  city  of  that  name,  the  three  abundant 
fountains  of  pure  water  giving  the  town  its 
name,  springing  to  the  surface  near  the  east  end 
of  the  cathedral. 

The  delightful  surroundings  of  W'ells  strongly 
emphasize  a  marked  point  of  difference  in  the 
idea  of  the  English  as  contrasted  with  the 
French  cathedral.  The  latter  was  designed  to 
be  imposing  in  a  city,  among  other  buildings ; 
while  the  English  chose  quiet  and  sequestered 
spots,  away  from  the  turmoil  of  life.  These  dif- 
ferent ideas  found  architectural  expression  and 
influenced  the  character  of  the  design. 

A  feeling  of  devotion  breathes  from  the  clois- 
tered court  of  Wells  and  recalls  the  beautiful 
lines 

"Oft  have  I  seen  at  this  Cathedral  door, 
A  laborer  pausing  in  the  dust  and  heat, 
Lay  down  his  burden  and  with  reverent  feet 

Enter  and  cross  himself." 

The  West  front  of  Wells  has  been  called  the 
most  imposing  facade  in  England,  not  only  for 
its  square  and  massive  strength  but  uni([uc  de- 

160 


Side  Vie-?v  of  Wells  Cathedral 


sign  and  harmonious  cffccl.  In  a  small  plate  it 
is  ini])ossible  to  convey  the  richness  of  detail, 
with  its  wonderful  mass  of  sculpture  and  deco- 
ration. The  front  is  235  feet  in  breadth,  and 
in  the  decorated  niches  are  said  to  be  600  sculp- 
tured figures,  half  of  them  life  size. 

These  sculptured  stories  were  the  public  libra- 
ries of  the  multitude  at  that  time  who  had 
neither  prints  nor  books,  but  read  their  Bible 
stories  from  these  carvings — "a  sign  language 
in  stone."  The  towers  of  the  west  front  in  the 
Perpendicular  style  were  added  in  the  fourteenth 
century  and  are  not  a  part  of  the  real  construc- 
161 


|i|l-ti:fii 


■^**« 


Litchfield    Cathedral 

tive  design,  as  the}-  stand  outsido  tlie  aisles  of 
which  the}'  appear  to  form  the  end.  The  group- 
ing of  the  three  well  proportioned  towers  is.  how- 
ever, considered  as  one  of  the  finest  architectural 
effects   in   England. 

The  very  beautiful  west    front    of    IJtchfield 
cathedral  is  perhaps  the  most  ]X"rfect  specimen  of 

162 


Engli.sli  Decorated  Gothic.  The  artistic  value 
of  towers  and  spires  can  hardly  be  estimated. 
Their  position  varied,  but  a  favorite  and  effective 
placement  was  a  pair  of  towers  at  the  west  end 
of  the  building  as  shown  in  the  picture  of  Litch- 
field. This  front  shows  the  excessively  rich  or- 
namentation of  the  Decorated  period. 

It  is  divided  into  three  stages ;  the  lower  one 
occupied  by  the  three  doorways,  the  center  one 
being  in  effect  a  deeply  recessed  porch.  The 
hollow  mouldings  on  either  side  are  filled  with 
exquisite  sculptured  foliage. 

Above  this  lovely  doorway  is  set  the  beauti- 
fully decorated  central  window,  flanked  each  side 
by  a  series  of  arcaded  niches,  filled  with  carved 
statues  and  having  pierced  and  trefoiled  heads 
with   projecting  canopies. 

The  flowing  tracery  of  the  gable  above  the 
lofty  spires  divided  into  many  stories  and  filled 
with  canopied  windows,  the  angle  pinnacles  and 
ornamented  parapets  of  open  stone  work — all 
make  up  an  effect  of  unsurpassed  elegance. 

Westminster  Abbey  is  full  of  exquisite  exam- 
ples of  window  tracery  in  the  form  chieflv  em- 
ployed in  Early  English  Gothic.  The  splendid 
arcade  of  windows  which  forms  the  triforium  of 
the  choir  is  shown  in  the  i)hotograph  of  the 
choir.     The  beautiful  vaulting — 

''The  lift  of  higb-eml)owerc(l  roof. 
The  clustered  stems  that  spread  in  boughs  dis- 
leaved," 

is  a  fine  architectm-al  study  in  the  open  roof  con- 
struction of  Gothic  churches.  The  vault  was 
indeed  a  feature  of  prime  imjiortance,  often  in- 

163 


Choir,   Westminster  Abbey 


volvini^-  great  structural  difficulties,  and  such 
marvels  of  workmanship,  and  com])osed  of  such 
an  infinite  numhcr  of  parts,  as  to  fill  the  beholder 
\\ith  unending  wonder. 

Not  until  this  period  were  there  any  seats  in 
the  churches.  The  early  Church  knew  not  seats, 
except  for  the  bishop  or  the  preacher;  the  laitv 
stood.  If  any  were  physically  unable  to  stand, 
such  as  delicate  women  or  invalids,  the  floor 
was  the  alternative.  Even  in  the  present,  the 
churches  of  the  East,  have  no  seats  nor  are  thev 
permitted  except  as  an  extra  accommodation  for 
which  one  must  pay.  In  the  fiftceenth  centurv 
the  sitting  posture  became  recognized  in  English 
churches,  and  oak  pewing,  often  of  a  beautiful 
character  was  introduced. 

The  study  of  English  Gothic,  from  the  Ro- 
manesque churches  to  the  grand  cathedrals  of  the 
middle  centuries,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
periods  of  architectural  study.  Xo  other  period 
shows  such  unparalleled  activity  in  construction, 
and  such  ardor  in  design.  But  Italian  archi- 
tecture, which  never  had  taken  kindly  to  the 
Gothic,  began  strongly  to  revive  classic  styles. 

Fashion  sends  forth  her  mandates  in  other  af- 
fairs than  dress,  and  a  new  fashion  in  architec- 
ture was  now  decreed. 

"Hence,  doomed  to  hide  her  banished  head 
Forever,  Gothic  architecture  fled." 

Xew  masters  in  architecture  had  arisen  who 
"knew  not  Joseph"  and  \Vho  sent  forth  their 
royal  edict — 

"That  Gothic  is  not   Grecian,  therefore   worse." 

165 


R.adcliffe    Library,  Oxford 


By  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
Gothic  architecture  liad  }ield€d  completely  to 
continental  influence  and  the  Renaissance  was 
thoroughly  established  on  a  firm  footing.  This 
it  has  retained  through  succeeding  generations, 
though  in  modified  form  and  not  to  the  exclu- 

166 


sion  of  other  styles.  Many  notable  huildini^s 
were  erected  in  England  under  its  influence, 
among-  them  Radcliffe  Library  at  Oxford,  which 
is  a  type  of  the  later  Renaissance  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century.  The  building  is  a  handsome  ro- 
tunda, embellished  with  columns  and  surmount- 
ed by  a  dome  resting  on  an  octagonal  base.  It 
was  built  in  the  period  of  the  revived  Italian,  and 
is  considered  by  some  authorities  the  grandest  of 
all  the  English-Italian  designs  of  this  time. 

The  great  dome  of  St.  Paul's  was  the  result  of 
the  revived  Italian  then  dominant,  when  the 
cathedral  was  re-built  after  the  fire  which  de- 
stroyed it  in  the  seventeenth  centurv.  It  was 
constructed  of  white  marble,  but  is  now  black 
with  age  and  soot. 

The  present  edifice,  though  imposing,  cannot  be 
said  to  possess  the  charm  and  poetic  interest  of 
the  old  St.  Paul's.  It  is  said  to  occupy  the  exact 
site  of  an  old  Roman  temple,  and  truth  to  say 
looks  more  like  one  than  a  church.  Though 
the  intcri(M-  has  now  become  the  mausoleum  of 
soldiers,  statesmen  and  poets,  and  is  filled  with 
great  monuments,  the  tonil)  of  the  architect.  Sir 
Christopher  Wren,  the  first  apostle  of  English 
Renaissance,  was  for  a  long  time  the  onlv  one. 
On  it  was  the  famous  <i\)\i?ix\\—' ' Si inomimentum 
qucsris  circuinspice r  (If  you  seek  a  monument, 
look  around.) 

The  vast  expanse  of  the  mighty  dome  cov- 
ered with  fresco,  seems  bald  and  bare,  unbroken 
by  shadow  and  unsoftened  by  the  dim  light  of  the 
Gothic  vaulted  arch.  The  dome  was  in  fact 
the     distinguisning     feature     of     public     build- 

167 


St.  Paul's   Cathedral 


ings  in  the  Renaissance,  and  took  tlic  place  of 
the  tower,  both  in  cliurches  and  secular  buildings. 
Tne  celebrated  dome  of  St.  Paul's  cathedral,  so 
familiar  to  all  readers  and  travelers,  was  the  first 
important  instance  of  the  new  style.  Far  more 
attention  was,  however,  given  in  the  Renaissance 
period  to  buildings  of  a  secular  character. 

168 


The   Royal  E,xchange 


The  Garden  Front  of  King's  College,  Cam- 
bridge, illustrates  the  features  of  the  style  in  its 
earlier  period,  and  the  Royal  Exchange  Building 
in   London,    its   later   development. 

Large  country  houses  of  Italian  design  were 
also  built,  many  of  them  extremely  incongruous 
and  unsatisfactory.  The  great  cornices  and 
classic  porticos  with  pediments,  were  better  fitted 
for  sunny  Italy  than  the  cold,  grey  skies  of  Eng- 
land, and  these  stately  but  cold  buildings  at  their 
best,  were  much  inferior  to  the  picturesque  and 
home-like  dwellings  of  the  earlier  architecture. 
There  was  a  general  demand  for  making  every- 
thing Greek,  and  before  the  middle  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  the  picturesque  element  had  com- 
pletely disappeared  from  the  English  architecture 
of  the  period.  The  two  views  given  of  Hamp- 
ton Court,  the  royal  pleasure-house  of  the  sover- 
eign, well  illustrate  the  design  of  this  period. 
169 


Garden  Front,  King's  College 

Lord  Bacon's  <lcscription  of  an  Elizabethan 
mansion,  whicii  he  says  "should  have  two  sev- 
eral sides  of  a  great  stately  tower  in  the  midst 
of  the  front" — is  well  illustrated  in  the  first 
view.  It  contains  j^ood  examples  of  both  early 
and  late  brick-work.    The  l)rick  is  laid  in  an  orna- 

170 


mental  diaper  dcsigri.  The  west  front,  with  its 
great  arched  entrance  Hanked  by  towers,  is  im- 
posing- and  feudal  in  character,  and  shows  to  ad- 
vantage the  charming  oriel  over  the  entrance 
which   was  such  a  marked   feature  of  the  time. 


n 


■^m 


Hampton   Court,   West  Front 

The  great  eastern  and  southern  quadrangle  was 
added  in  the  Renaissance  period  and  is  the  work 
of  its  most  famous  architect.  Sir  Christopher 
Wren.  The  quadrangle  forms  an  arcade  open- 
ing upon  a  beautiful  garden  and  is  built  of  red 
brick  with  stone  dressings.  The  range  of  win- 
dows preserved  through  the  three  stories  form 
its  distinctive  feature. 

A  free  use  was  made  of  plaster,  both  outside 

171 


and  inside,  not  merely  to  cover  surfaces  but  to 
form  architectural  features.  Rough  walls  were 
faced  with  fine  stone  in  important  buildings  and 
with  plaster  in  cheaper  ones.  In  fact  the  con- 
cealment of  construction  and  interior  arrange- 
ment by  a  uniform  facade  was  a  feature  of  Re- 
naissance  architecture,   in  direct  contrast  to  the 


£.astern  Quadrangle,  Hampton  Court 

frank  display  on  the  outside  of  the  w'orks  within 
which  characterized  the  previous  English  style. 

Columns  and  pilasters  so  large  as  to  appear  to 
support  the  building,  were  used  purely  for  dec- 

172 


orativc  purposes,  a  practice    which    is    not    un- 
known at  the  present  time. 

In  many  cases  the  detail  of  the  Renaissance 
style  is  not  at  all  suggested  by  the  material,  and 
is  quite  independent  of  the  construction.  Cor- 
nices and  pilasters  and  columns  are  "put  on" 
purely  as  ornaments  and  look  it,  while  facades  are 

''Of  brick,  mock-pious  with  a  marble  front." 
It  is,  in  fact,  as  Ruskin  has  called  it,  "The  archi- 
tecture of  pride ;"  it  expresses  aristocratic  feel- 
ing— the  pride  of  birth  or  of  wealth.  It  is,  how- 
ever, capable  of  refinement  and  reserve,  and  of 
expressing  that  real  aristocracy  which  is  of  feel- 
ing and  high  born  courtesy,  instead  of  the  vul- 
gar pride  of  possessions.  No  style  afifords  more 
room  for  skill  in  planning  than  does  the  Renais- 
sance, or  repays  such  skill  with  better  results. 
It,  therefore,  commends  itself  in  many  of  its  feat- 
ures to  the  modern  architect,  who  finds  a  fertile 
field  for  clever  treatment  of  its  possibilities. 

The  classic  elements  of  Renaissance  architec- 
ture have  given  it  permanence ;  and  svmmetrv. 
strict  uniformity  and  constant  repetition  of 
features  intended  to  correspond,  are  quaUties 
that  distinguish  the  purer  examples  of  the 
style,  and  have  obtained  for  it  a  firm  footing  in 
modern  construction,  in  spite  of  the  abuses  into 
which  it  has  so  often  fallen  and  which  have  been 
so  fiercely  denounced  b}-  its  critics. 

The  earlier  efiforts  of  our  own  American  archi- 
tects were  patterned  after  the  Renaissance  tvpes, 
and  the  colonial  houses  of  the  pre-revolutionary 
period  were  echoes  of  the  English  Renaissance. 
Some  of  the  most  dignified  of  American  public 
buildings  are  examples  of  the  better  character- 
istics of  modern  Renaissance,  which  is  not  so 
much  a  style  in  itself  as  a  system  of  decoration, 
in  which  a  great  variety  of  detail  is  applied  to 
every  kind  of  material.  It  is,  indeed,  the  most 
widely  known  and  best  comprehended  of  all 
methods, 

173 


ENGLISH  DOMESTIC  ARCHL 
TECTURE 


Haddon    Hall 

In  England,  the  artistic  character  of  dwelHngs 
began  much  earher  and  developed  more  freely 
than  on  the  Continent.  The  old  manor  house 
shown  is  Haddon  Jiall..  one' of  the most  noted 
s])ecimens  remaining  of  early  Eng^lish  domestic 
architecture.  •  The  building  is  of  various  periods 
of  architecture,  the  view  given  is  the  wing  of 
the  early  Norman  period.  Other  portions  are 
additions  and  alterations  of  later  periods.  Even 
this  ])art  of  the  building  partakes  more  of  the 
domestic  than  the  castellated  style.     The  whole 

174 


l)uilflinq-  is  a  very  fine  exterior.  Init  the  interior, 
with   the  exception   of  hall,   drawing  room   and 
dining;:  room  is  little  better  than  a  chaotic  mass 
of  small,  inconvenient  and  huddled  apartments. 
It  is,   however,  a   most  interesting  specimen  of 
early  English  domestic,  and  the  arrangement  of 
terraces  to  suit  the  rapidly  falling  ground  of  the 
site,   is  indescribably  charming  and  picturesque. 
Houses  increased  in  size,  convenience  and  deco- 
rative character ;  chimneys  were  provided  instead 
of  the  hooded  fireplace  with  possibly  a  rude  flue 
up  through  the  first  story.      The  houses  of  the 
better  middle  class  had  a  small,  wooden  porch 
over  the  entrance.     The  center  hall  had  openings 
to  right  and  left,  leading  to  the  kitchen  and  other 
offices   which  were  now  separated  from  the  living 
hall.     Walls  were  now  plastered,  in  lieu  of  the 
wind}-  arras  wiiich  formerly  hid  the  roughness. 
The  beautiful   wall   tapestries,  however,   of  silk, 
wrought  in  thread  of  gold,  which  had  grown  out 
of  the  primitive  "wall-cloths"  of  the  Saxons,  were 
far  too  decorative  to  discard,  but  continued  to  be 
used  in  lieu  of  wainscoting  until  the  end  of  the 
fifteenth  century.     The  richly  worked  tapestries 
of  Arras  and  Brabant  replaced  the  needle  work 
of  the  mcdiccval  chatelaine,  and  commanded  lar^e 
sums  of  money.     Eventually,  however,  the  rival 
village  of  Worsted,  produced  a  fabric  which  came 
within   the   means   of   the   middle   class,   and   of 
great  beaut}-.     A  certain  class  of  woolen  goods 
lias  ever  since  gone  by  the  name  of  tlie  town. 

Before  the  advent  of  chimneys  in  private 
houses  a  chafing  dish  was  used  to  warm  cham- 
bers.    In   this   connection   the   plaint   of  an   old 

175 


Lodge    Entrance   in  Old    English 


writer  in  the  seventeenth  century,  after  the  gen- 
eral introduction  of  chimneys — is  significant  to 
ns  !uxury-pampere(l,  liot-water-heated  moderns. 
He  says — "Now  we  liave  chimneys;  yet  our  ten- 
derhngs  complain  of  rheum,  catarrhs  and  poses — 
colds  in  the  head.  Then,  had  we  none  but  rere- 
dorses,  and  our  heads  did  never  ache." 

The  outside  stair  was,  with  the  advent  of  cliim- 
neys,    replaced    by     an     inner     staircase,    which 

176 


gradually  came  to  assume  ,^rcat  disunity  and  char- 
acter and  the  small  and  winding-  stair  became 
rectangular  and  spacious.  The  steps  were  of  oak, 
the  balustrades  richly  carved  in  grand  houses, 
the  chimne\  -piece  richly  paneled  above  the  open- 
ing. 

Even  the  barns  were  now  invested  with  archi- 
tectural interest,  the  gables  and  doorways  often 
artistically  treated  and  the  roofs  wonders  of  car- 
pentry. Some  fine  examples  of  these  fifteenth 
century  barns  are  still  extant. 

The  charming  antique  given  here,  in  the  Earlv 
English  style,  was  the  lodge  entrance  to  a  fine 
estate,  the  owners  having  had  the  good  taste  to 
preserve  the  original  features  and  keep  the  build- 
ing in  repair.  For  picturesque  outline  and  pro- 
portion this  old  lodge  may  well  serve  as  a  model 
for  a  building  of  its  kind. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  method  of  construc- 
tion in  this  early  practice  of  half  timbered  work. 
Although  it  would  be  considered  primitive  and 
unscientific  by  our  builders,  it  had  the  quality 
of  permanence  and  a  certain  rugged  charm.  In 
constructing  the  "post  and  petrel"  work — as  it 
was  called — the  interstices  between  the  studs 
were  filled  in  with  a  mixture  of  clay  and  chopped 
straw,  plastered  on  to  willow  withes,  with  wattles 
introduced  as  a  core.  When  the  core  was  fairlv 
hard,  clay  and  lime  were  smoothed  on  both  sides 
and  both  timbers  and  panels  colored  in  distemper 
and  carved  more  or  less  elalioratelv. 

This  (piality  of  ])erman<.nce  is  a  feature  of 
these  old  houses  which  modern  builders  might 
imitate  to  advantage.     Here  are  dwellings  built 

177 


three  and  folir  hundred  years  ago,  yet  well  pre- 
served hoth  as  to  exterior  appearance  and  hahit- 
ability.  It  is  true  the  climate  of  England  is 
favorable  to  such  j)reservation,  inasmuch  as  the 
violent  extremes  and  the  fierce  winds  and  suns 
of  our  climate  are   unknown   tlicre. 

The  illustration  shows  an  old  half  timber  house 
built  in  1500,  but  in  excellent  condition  and  let 
out  to  families. 

These  gabled  cottages  with  tall  chimnc\s  are 
most  impretending,  yet  their  charm  is  undeniable, 
and  their  style  far  su])erior  to  the  dreary,  square 
block-houses  that  have  replaced  them  in  modern 
times,  which  even,  so  far  as  real  convenience  is 
concerned,   have   little  advantage. 

Strange  to  say,  these  excellent  examples  of 
substantial  construction  afforded  by  the  early 
builders  and  right  before  their  eyes  appears  to 
b.ave  little  influence  upon  the  character  of  Eng- 
lish present-day  methods,  from  which  the  glor\- 
of  other  da}-s  seems  to  have  utterly  departed. 
Within  the  last  decade,  there  has  been  an  im- 
provement in  the  construction  of  English  houses 
of  the  middle  class,  but  previously  to  this  modern 
English  houses,  unless  of  some  pretension,  have 
been  of  the  flimsiest  construction  and  of  poor 
material.  Poor  brick,  bad  mortar  and  careless 
workmanship  have  been  the  common  custom,  re- 
sulting in  walls  that  would  justify  the  prophet's 
gibe — "If  a  fox  go  up  he  shall  break  down  their 
stone   wall." 

Far  from  resembling  the  mortar  of  their  an- 
cestors, which  was  almost  invulnerable  to  the 
blows  of  the  Jiick.  "I  ('id  not  see  in  England" 
179 


God's   Providence    House 


remarks  a  traveler  of  much  perception  a  few 
years  a,qo — "in  a  new  private  building  of  mod- 
erate pretensions,  an\-  mortar  worthy  of  the 
name."  Xot  only  so.  but  small  and  badly  joined 
beams,  weak  and  clumsy  tenon  and  mortise  work, 
appear  to  have  been  the  rule  and  not  the  excep- 
tion. 

In  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  great 
changes  took  place  in  domestic  architecture.  The 
beautiful  perpendicular  style  of  ecclesiastical 
structures  of  that  period  began  to  influence  dwell- 
ings in  all  directions,  with  ever-varying  and  lux- 
uriant beauty.  The  architecture  of  the  period 
was,  of  course,  adapted  in  domestic  buildings  to 
their  dififerent  uses.  Thus,  square  windows  in 
a  dwelling  were  more  convenient  than  pointed, 
except  in  situations  of  special  dignity,  and  were 
therefore  used.  The  projecting  bays  and  oriels 
were  also  strictly  features  of  domestic  architec- 
ture. The  great  oriel  window  of  an  upper  hall 
was  a  marked  feature  of  this  period  as,  also, 
many  little  windows  with  diamond  shaped  panes, 
with  gable  ends  facing  the  street  filled  with  carv- 
ing. The  beautifully  carved  woodwork  of  the 
gables  in  sixteenth  century  houses  is  one  of  their 
architectural  features,  and  extended  even  to  the 
stables  of  great  houses.  The  charmingly  de- 
signed group  here  given  of  these  old  timber 
houses,  might  serve  as  a  model  and  an  inspira- 
tion for  many  a  picturesque  architectural  effect 
of  the  present  time.  Indeed  this  faculty  of  mak- 
ing dwellings  picturesque  was  better  understood 
by  these  old  builders  tlian  our  own. 

Note   the   simplicity   of  the  constructive   lines 

181 


The    Bishop    Loyd    House 

and  the  skill  with  which  the  details,  the  timber- 
ing of  the  gables,  the  oriel  windows  filled  with 
delicate,  latticed  panes  set  in  quaint  and  unusual 
places,  producing  an  extremely  ornamental  fa- 
cade, yet  in  good  taste.  Infinite  pains  were  taken 
with  these  details,  and  the  carving  in  the  black 
and  white  gables  of  these  old  English  houses  may 

182 


well   be   studied   by   tbe  modern   arcbitcct.      Tbe 
gable   boards   and     cross    beams,    were    favorite 
places  for  tbe  display  of  tbe  beautiful  wood  carv- 
ing wbicb  was  tlic  i)ride  of  tbe  English  artisan. 
The   excellent   examples    given   are    pictures   of 
some  of  these  carved  gables  in  old  Chester,  noted 
for  choice  specimens  of  tbe  ancient  work.     God's 
Providence  House,  the  first  example  given,  and 
so    named    in    grateful     commemoration    of    im- 
munity from  tbe  i)lague  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury,   was   built    in    1652.      Two   hundred   years 
later   it    was    carefully   repaired,    preserving   tbe 
style  and  as  far  as  possible  tbe  original  material. 
The  old  builders  applied  many  coats  of  tar  as  a 
preservative,  and  whitened  the  plaster  from  time 
to  time,  resulting  in  the  black  and  white  appear- 
ance of  the  houses. 

Aluch  the  same  style  of  work  is  shown  in  the 
Bishop  Loyd  House,  also  in  Chester,  with  its 
richly  carved  and  pargeted  front. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  speculate 
on  the  means  the  old  designers  used  to  attain 
such  satisfactory  results.  That  they  worked  from 
drawings  is  evident  because  in  manv  cases  these 
are  extant;  but  that  they  carefully  tested  tbe 
workings  of  their  drawings  and  altered  and 
amended  them  from  the  various  points  of  view, 
seems  also  evident  to  produce  such  almost  uni- 
versally satisfactory  effects.  So  marked  and 
palpable  is  this  universal  beauty  of  form  in  the 
work  of  the  old  designers  that  much  research 
has  been  expended  and  old  records  explored,  to 
find  out.  if  possible,  some  ancient  code  of  rules 
that  may  have  guided  their  operations. 

183 


Dorfield    Hall 


The  brick  houses  of  the  middle  centuries  are 
another  interesting  field  for  exploration  and 
stud'-.  "Bricks,  and  especially  red  bricks,"  says 
an  interesting  writer,  "are  almost  always  men- 
tioned with  great  disrespect  in  connection  with 
architecture."  While  not  so  readily  handled  by 
the  ordinary  architect,  bricks  are  a  material 
which  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  dispense 
with,  and  capable  of  varied  and  interesting  effects 
in  skillful  hands. 

The  illustration  shows  how  well  brick  work 
was  understood  at  this  period,  the  gable  and  chim- 
ney well  broken  up  into  light  and  shadow  and 
well  proportioned.  Ordinary,  rectangular  brick, 
unmolded,  are  the  only  medium  here  employed ; 
even  the  coping  being  contrived  by  ingeniously 
overlapping  one  brick  upon  another.  This  fine 
old  mansion  of  Dorfield    Hall  in  Cheshire,  is  a 

185 


handsome  specimen  of  Mlizaliethan  brick,  relieved 
only  by  the  stone  quoins  of  the  angles.  The  en- 
trance is  given  special  prominence  by  the  stone 
flanking-  of  the   angles. 

In  some  parts  of  England  there  was  a  felicitous 
combination  of  timber  with  brick,  as  in  the  old 
inn  shown  in  the  picture,  which  shows  brick 
decorated  with  quoins  around  the  openings,  and 
elegant  black  and  white  work  above. 

Many  of  the  brick  chimneys  of  this  period 
would  make  excellent  copies  for  modern  dwell- 
ings. Some  of  these  appeared  to  be  octagonal 
in  snape,  an  effect  produced  by  simply  taking  off 
the  angles  at  the  corners.  The  courses  of  brick 
project  at  the  top  and  form  a  battlement  and  are 
striking  and  happy  in  effect  at  small  expense. 

Brick  and  stone,  to  a  great  extent,  superseded 
timber,  as  the  Gothic  style  was  supplanted  by 
the  Renaissance.  In  that  curiously  broken  classic 
called  the  Elizabethan,  brick  was  extensively 
used.  The  photograph  of  Aston  Hall  shows  a 
fine  old  mansion  of  the  Jacobean  form  of  Eliza- 
bethan, and  was  built  in  1618.  It  is  constructed 
of  deep,  red  brick,  with  ornamental  designs 
worked  out  in  still  darker  brick  upon  the  facade. 
The  large  bays  and  the  ornaments  of  the  parapets 
are  of  stone.  The  porch  is  on  the  Doric  order, 
and  shows  the  curious  mixture  of  stvle  of  the 
period,  which  has  so  often  been  imitated  in 
cheap,  poorly  designed  modern  dwellings.  Aston 
Hall  consists  of  a  center,  with  projecting  wings 
enclosing  three  sides  of  a  court.  The  exterior 
is  rather  plain,  but  the  lofty  towers  of  the  angles 
and  the  carved  gables,  impart  a  picturesque  and 

187 


••«i;^ 


imposin^t^  appearance.  Some  quaint  verses  are 
carved  on  one  of  the  stones  over  the  entrance. 
Ihis  stately  mansion  was  seventeen  Aears  in 
building:,  and  has  been  well  preserved.  'The  in- 
terior decoration  is  worthy  of  special  notice.  In 
the  great  library  is  a  sculptured  stone  frieze  7 
feet  8  inches  in  depth,  and  a  cornice  above  '12 
inches  deep,  with  a  projection  of  14  inches.  One 
division  IS  seven  feet  in  length,  with  arabesque 
relief,  and  separated  by  slightly  ornamented 
arches,  each  containing  the  figure  of  a  Roman 
Knight  in  armour. 

The  Elizabethan  period,  combined  with  its 
picturesque  and  telling  style,  great  incongruitv 
of  form.  It  is  true,  and  a  mixture  of  Gothic  and 
classic_  which  was  sometimes  deplorable;  but 
there  is  a  fascination  in  its  plav  of  fancv  and 
romantic  eehng.  This  style,  variouslv  denomi- 
nated ludor,  Elizabethan  and  Jacobean,  was 
produced  by  an  admixture  of  Italian  details  on 
a  Gothic  foundation  before  the  entire  abandon- 
ment ot  the  Gothic  for  the  full-fiedged  Renais- 
sance. It  was  characterized  bv  high  roofs  with 
gables^  taking  the  place  of  dormers  and  bv  the 
excessive  use  of  windows,  making  the  plain  walls 
beautiful,  when 

"Shafts    of   sunshine    from    the   west 
Paint   the   dusky   windows   red." 

The  Tudor  street  architecture  was  also  far 
more  interesting  and  picturesque  than  the  later 
s  vie.  The  high  gables,  the  over-hanging  stories, 
the  angle  posts,  the  tracerv  and  carving,  gave 
an  interest  and  charm  to  town  as  well  as  coun- 
try, sadly  lacking  in  the  monotonous  and  drearv 
rows  of  modern  street  fronts. 

Nor  was  the  practical  wanting,  for  at  this  time 

189 


we  have  the  introduction  of  lead  piping  laid  alongf 
roof  copings  to  carry  off  rainwater.  The  spirit 
of  ornamentation  extended  even  to  these  gutters, 
and  on  handsome  houses  both  the  pipe  and  the 
end  pieces  then  used  were  profusely  decorated. 

The  interior  of  an  Elizabethan  house  of  im- 
portance was  full  of  romantic  charm.  No  better 
idea  of  them  can  be  gained  anywhere  than  from 
Scott's  novels,  especially  Ivanhoe  and  Kenilworth, 
Avhere  are  described  the  stately  galleries,  the 
carved  friezes  and  panellings,  the  stained  glass 
and  enrichments  of  every  possible  description. 
Magnificent  staircases  became  a  feature  of  Eliza- 
bethan interiors.  Before  this,  the  stairs  were 
usually  placed  in  turrets,  winding  round  and 
roimd  a  central  newel,  and  were  small  and 
cramped.  They  now  occupied  a  prominent  posi- 
tion in  the  great  hall,  were  square  with  many 
landings  and  guarded  b}'  a  rising  balustrade  of 
oak,  enriched  by  elaborate  carvings.  The  stair- 
case in  Aston  Hall  before  referred  to  had  treads 
six  feet  in  length  and  risers  of  six  inches  only, 
and  the  hall  ceiling  was  thirty  feet  in  height. 

It  will  easily  be  seen  what  a  magnificent  fea- 
ture such  a  staircase  would  be.  The  chimney 
pieces  also  rose  to  the  ceilings  and  were  carved 
in  rich  arabesque  designs  and  foliage.  Ceilings 
were  richly  decorated,  and  furnishings  grew 
sumptuous.  The  oriel  windows  which  added 
such  interest  to  the  exteriors  were  equally  charm- 
ing inside,  increasing  comfort  and  convenience 
by  giving  light  where  otherwise  it  could  not  Ije 
obtained,  and  affording  opportunity  for  stained 
glass  enrichments. 

190 


"FoUotOing    the    sun,     tuestWard    the     march    of 

poWer, 
^he  rose  of  might  blooms  in  our  new  World  mart; 
"But  see,  just  bursting  forth  from  bud  to  floWer 
A  late,  slow  growth,   the  fairer  rose  of  art." 


191 


10 


MODILFkN     ARCHITE^CTURE, 

Let  us  now  attempt  to  indicate  the  application 
of  the  historic  forms  of  design  which  we  have 
briefly  considered,  to  the  architecture  of  our  own 
land  and  our  own  time. 

Ihe  American  architecture  of  fifty  years  ago 
was  a  revival  of  all  the  various  styles  in  a  medley 
of  them  all.  A  disinterested  and  impartial  use 
of  Greek,  Italian  or  Egyptian  ideas  in  public 
buildings  prevailed,  while  private  houses  ranged 
the  gamut  from  Italian  villas  capped  by  Chinese 
turrets,  through  Greek  columns  and  classic  porti- 
coes, to  French  Mansard  roofs  and  Queen  Anne 
bric-a-brac,  in  miles  of  the  hideous  abominations 
when  that  caricature  of  style  was  the  rage.  How 
then,  can  we  apply  the  beautiful  old  forms  we 
have  been  studying  to  modern  design,  under  con- 
ditions and  requirements  so  different  from  those 
which  dictated  the  old  architecture? 

A  noted  architect  has  told  us  how,  when  he 
says  that  "out  of  the  critical  use  of  past  tradi- 
tion, we  must  build  up  a  tradition  of  our  own." 
Not  a  blind  and  indiscriminate  use  of  these  old 
forms,  but  an  adaptation  of  features,  and  forms 
of  detail  suitable  to  the  position  in  which  they 
are  used  and  to  the  material  employed.     This  is 

192 


in  fact  just  what  llic  Renaissance  architects  (hd 
in  regard  to  classic  st}le.  The  modern  archi- 
tect mav  eni])loy  the  same  method,  not  only  with 
reference  to  Greek  and  Roman  forms,  but  from 
all  the  great  styles  he  may  select  details  or  gen- 
eral resemblance,  grouping  and  combining  these 
in  the  endless  ])ossilMlities  of  design. 

Many  of  our  notable  pul)lic  buildings  are 
frankly  copies  or  adaptations  of  the  old  forms 
and  motifs  which  have  been  described  in  former 
pages.  Madison  Scpiare  Garden,  in  New  York, 
for  instance,  is  adorned  by  a  tower  modeled  upon 
the  l:)eautiful  La  Giralda  tower  at  Seville,  illus- 
trated  in  a   former  chapter. 

We  cannot,  of  course,  look  for  a  distinctly 
original  or  national  type  of  design;  nor  is  there 
anything  to  be  regretted  in  that  present  condi- 
tion Avhich  permits  us  instead  to  make  use  of  the 
highest   forms  of  design  the  world  has  know^n. 

The  great  periods  of  Greek  and  Gothic  archi- 
tecture will  always  consciousl\-  influence  design, 
and  the  best  work  of  modern  architects  is  de- 
voted to  adapting  them  to  modern  structural  de- 
mands and  the  uses  of  the  buildings,  while  giv- 
ing to  these  an  appropriate  local  expression.  To 
thus  secure  a  harmonious  whole,  in  which  the 
masses,  the  proportions  and  the  detail  each  have 
their  proper  value,  to  give  public  buildings  a 
character  suited  to  their  objects,  and  to  make 
dwellings  home-like,  domestic  and  refined — these 
are  fields  affording  scope  for  the  highest  order 
of  architectural  skill  and  satisfying  the  noblest 
ambition.  The  scope  of  this  vf)lume  will  not 
jXTUiit     an     extended     application     of     historic 

193 


forms,  to  the  public  buildings  or  church  archi- 
tecture of  today.  The  home-builder's  interest  is 
chiefly  centered  in  dwellings  and  domestic  sub- 
jects. To  these  will  be  devoted  the  greater  part 
of  these  closing  chapters  with  only  a  brief  and 
cursory  glance  at  buildings  of  a  iniblic  character. 


In  modern  times,  church  l)uilding  has  become 
quite  a  secondary  matter  compared  to  the  promi- 
nence given  it  in  the  middle  ages.  We  no  longer 
spend  millions  of  monc}-  and  centuries  of  time 
in  rearing  vast  cathedrals.  X'evertheless  it  may 
be  stated  that  in  general,  church  architecture  is 
still  most  influenced  by  the  Gothic  or  ^Mediaval 
style.  It  is  true  there  are  instances  of  the  Renais- 
sance or  domed  type  of  church,  but  the  Gothic 
IS  after  all  felt  to  be  the  more  ecclesiastical  style, 
and  architects  in  general  look  for  their  inspira- 
tion in  church  architecture  to  the  middle  ages. 
Experiments  have  been  tried  in  attempts 
to  impart  a  more  secular  character  to  church 
edifices,  but  the}-  are  never  a  success. 

The  range  is  a  wide  one.  under  which  we  may 
include  examples  of  Gothic  design  in  modern 
churches,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  and  it 
is  not  here  proposed  to  illustrate  the  more  noted 
and  costly  buildings.  The  great  mass  of  readers 
are  interested  in  moderate  cost  structures ;  there- 
fore we  shall  instance  a  few  coming  within  this 
category. 

The  design  shown  in  Fig.  i  is  an  example 
of  adequate  Gothic  feeling  ex})resse(l  in  a  build- 
ing treated  in  a  free  and  modern  manner.  The 
tower  is  a  simple  and  solid  sliaft  of  great  plain- 

193 


r* 


ness,  \ct  ii  iniiircsses  us  wilh  iis  churchliness 
as  well  as  its  beauty.  In  the  west  front  the  great 
"Painted  windows,  freaking  gloom  with  glow 
Duskinj*  the  sunshine  which  they  seem  to  cheer" 
arc  worthy  of  some  mediaeval  cathedral.  The 
t}pe  is  pure  Gothic,  expressed  with  simplicity 
_\et  with  dignit}-.  and  conveying  a  decided  re- 
ligious sentiment. 

In  the  Flagler  Memorial  Church  at  St.  Augus- 
tine, we  trace  a  strong  feeling  of  the  i)criod 
when  the  English  Gothic  was  fused  into  the 
Renaissance.  On  a  reduced  scale,  we  have  the 
dome  of  St.  Paul's,  while  pointed  gables  and  pin- 
nacles, vertical  openings  and  rose  windows  are 
skillfully  woven  into  a  telling  design  of  much 
grace  and  distinction. 

Glancing  briefly  at  modern  secular  buildings  of 
a  more  public  character,  we  are  chiefly  impressed 
with  their  numerousness. 

Great  as  was  the  architectural  activity  of 
mediaeval  times,  it  was  as  nothing  compared  with 
the  vast  number  of  both  public  and  private  build- 
ings constantly  going  up  at  the  present  day.  The 
great  increase  in  population,  commerce  and 
wealth,  results  in  a  vast  amount  of  building,  and 
we  may  well  be  interested  as  to  what  manner  of 
building  this  is  to  be.  Everywhere  are  rising 
up  structures  to  meet  the  demands  of  modern 
civilization — colossal  hotels,  flat  buildings,  civic 
bui. dings,  the  private  residences  of  millionaires — 
to  say  nothmg  of  long  street  fronts,  business 
blocks  and  the  like,  and  the  private  dwellings  of 
the  middle  class.  Instead  of  the  slow  growth 
of  centuries  as  in  the  past,  towns  spring  up  over 
197 


night,  consisting  of  long,  straight  rows  of  small 
uninteresting  dwellings,  with  here  and  there  a 
church  and  a  school  house.  Too  often  in  the 
past  school  house  and  university  huildings  have 
l)een  given  the  character  of  a  factory  or  a  jail, 
and  an  aspect  of  haldness  and  ugliness  most  re- 
])ellant. 

"There  is  red  brick  which  softening  Time  defies 
Stand  square  and  stiff,  the   Muses  factories." 

is  a  description  that  will  appl}-  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  school  buildings,  antl  if  not  red,  the  brick 
is  a  dirty,  nondescript,  called  by  courtesy,  cream. 
A  building  which  is  to  be  the  home  of  children 
and  youth  for  the  great  part  of  every  daw  could 
ver}-  properly  assume  a  semi-domestic  and  pic- 
turesque character.  In  the  sketch  from  the 
architect's  wash  drawings  here  presented  for  the 
main  Iniilding  and  dormitories  of  a  college,  we 
can  see  how  this  expression  of  domesticity  has 
been  successfully  incorporated  in  the  design 
which  mingles  happily  features  which  might 
easily  have  been  inspired  1)\-  the  stately  type  of 
old  Tudor  architecture  which  accompanies  the 
desifjn. 


199 


The  Tudor  style  is  a  favorite  one  for  colles^iate 
work  and  our  modern  architect  has  here  natural- 
ized his  Tudor  lintels  and  Enc^lish  Collegiate 
Gothic  into  a  home-grown  product  that  is  well 
fitted  to  its  setting. 

One  can  scarce  travel  anywhere  without  find- 
ing modern  huildings  modeled  upon  or  even 
copies,  of  these  old  forms.  Well — and  is  this  a 
crime?  Can  the  world  hope  to  invent  anything 
better  than  these  ideals  of  beauty,  grace  and  re- 
finement which  have  been  handed  down  the  cen- 
turies? Why  should  we  not  copy  after  a  good 
model  rather  than  adopt  singular  and  startling 
effects  in  the  search  after  something  new.  It 
is  only  at  rare  intervals  in  the  world's  history 
that  ideals  are  created.  The  average  man  must 
copy  the  ideals. 

Says  a  recent  writer — "I  should  say  without 
qualification  that  adaptation  is  the  soul  of  archi- 
tecture ;  presupposing  the  highest  kind  of  talent, 
most  extended  education  and  artistic  suscepti- 
bility." Of  course  this  means  that  the  adapta- 
tion must  be  an  intelligent  one,  a  selection  of 
what  is  best  in  the  great  architecture  of  the  past 
and  fitting  it  to  the  conditions  of  modern  life. 
So  shall  we  not  be 
"Foreclosed  of  heaut\-  1)\-  our  modern   date." 


When  we  speak  of  Romanesque  as  applied  to 
modern  architecture,  we  find  the  resemblance 
for  the  most  'part  to  exist  in  external  details 
rather  than  the  design  as  a  whole.  The  entrance 
is  the  feature  of  a  building  where  a  typical  style 
usually    expresses    itself    most    strongly.     The 

201 


Church    Doorway.     Fig.   7 

corner  doorway  of  a  Boston  church  shown  in 
Fig.  7  is  one  of  several  features  which  give  a  de- 
cided Romanesque  feehng  to  the  edifice. 

In  the  facade  of  Fig.  8  we  have  the  feehng  still 
further  emphasized  by  the  employment  of  the 
short,  and  heavy  columns  so  distinctly  Roman- 
esque in  connection  with  the  round  arches  of  the 
entrance,  and  repeated  in  the  opening  above.  A 
truly  Richardsonian  facade. 

I-"igs.  9,  10,  1 1  illustrate  the  manner  in 
v. hich  the  exquisite  stone  carving  of  the  middle 
ages  is  reproduced  in  the  ornamental  detail  of 
202 


A  Romanesque  Facade.      Fig.  8 

entrances  to  modern  buildings,  though  usually  it 
is  modeled  and  not  carved.  The  entrance  is  'the 
feature  which  dominates  the  whole  building,  and 
the  feature  by  which  it  is  always  sought  to  con- 
vey  the  type  of   design.     Sculptured" figures  of 


Stone   Carving   of  E.ntrance.       Fig.   9 
203 


Carved  Newel  for  Staircase,      Fig.    10 


animals  played  a  large  part  in  the  decorations  of 
Ijuildings  in  the  middle  ages.  To  us,  they  seem 
not  specially  appropriate  to  churches,  but  the 
great  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  at  Paris  is  a  mass 
of  such  carvings  in  stone,  strange  forms  of  beasts 
ironi  earth  and  sea  and  sky  stretching  open- 
mouthed  from  every  corner.  These  "stories  in 
stone"  were  part  of  the  beliefs  and  imaginations 
iuid  superstitions  of  those  times  ;  but  though  often 
grotesque  and  almost  horrible,  they  represented 
the  utmost  skill  and  cunning  of  the  carver's  art. 
Other   instances  of  the  application  of  historic 

204 


forms  to   the  present   time  are   the   m.Klern   ex- 
changes, bank   buildin-s.  office  bnildin-s  of  the 
large    cities,    in    whicli    modern    arcliitects    have 
achieved  such  admirable  results.     Take    for  in 
stance,   the   model   public   librarv   buildino-   illus- 
trated  m    Fig.    12.    whicli   is   in' its   wav'as   ad- 
mirable as   a   Greek   (emi)le.      It   is   indeed   easv 
to  see  that  tlie  building  has  been  modeled  upon 
classic  design  and  is  inspired  bv  classic  feelin- 
yet  It  IS  adapted  to  modern  uses  and  is  in  liaP- 

205 


^^-  'flKlJ 
\  '^    LilJi 


;         I       ■      1^ 


=:  I    S 


nionx  with  its  surroniulin^s.  The  ease  and  grace 
with  which  the  details  of  the  Doric  order  are 
handled,  the  refinement,  simplicity  and  reserve 
shown,  are  admirahle.  \Miile  far  from  reaching 
the  same  level  of  architectural  merit,  the  facade 
of  the  small  bank  building  Fig.  15  yet  show's 
how  even  an  inexpensive  and  small  building  may 
be  redeemed  from  hopeless  commonplaceness  and 
inferiority  by  a  treatment  which  introduces  de- 
tail originall}-  applied  to  higher  purposes.  It 
is  true  that  the  designer  has  his  orders  some- 
what mixed,  and  that  the  Ionic  columns  of  the 
entrance  are  Hanked  by  engaged  pillars  at  the 
angles  of  Byzantine  type — but  that  is  no  more 
than  the  ancient  Romans  themselves  did,  and 
the  little  front  is  distinctly  j)leasing. 

237 


11 

MODERN    DOMESTIC    ARCHI- 
TECTURE 

"I  would  have  then  our  dwelling  houses  built  to  last, 
and  built  to  be  lovely ;  as  rich  and  full  of  pleasantness- 
as  may  be  within  and  without;  *  *  *  *  with  such, 
differences  as  might  suit  and  express  each  man's  char- 
acter and  occupation."  — Ruskin. 

Ill  the  historic  architecture  of  the  past  which 
we  have  been  considering,  dwelhngs  played  but 
a  small  part.  It  is  true  the  ancient  Romans  had 
some  notion  of  combining  interior  comfort  and 
luxury  with  architectural  effects,  but  even  their 
houses  were  principally  made  up  of  many  small 
compartments  ranged  round  an  open  court,  and 
wall  decorations  were  the  chief  furnishings. 

A  modern  house  is  very  different  from  this; 
privacy  and  comfort  are  the  foremost  things  to 
consider  and  architectural  effect  is  secondary. 
Even  so  late  as  the  eighteenth  century  English 
houses  we  have  illustrated,  much  less  importance 
was  attached  to  having  everything  comfortable 
and  convenient  than  is  now  the  case.  Nowadays 
an  architect  gives  much  thought  to  the  con- 
veniences of  the  working  part  of  the  dwelling; 
planning  kitchen,  pantries,  basement,  so  that  the 
household  machinery  may  be  run  with  the  least 
labor.  In  the  old  days  such  a  thing  as  "saving 
steps"  was  never  thought  of. 

In    ancient    architecture,    attention    was    giveix 

208 


almost  wholly  to  exterior  effects,  and  the  "plan" 
was  little  more  than  llie  principal  walls,  with  their 
adornments.  But  the  "plan,"  under  the  require- 
ments of  modern  complex  civilization  is  an  en- 
tirely different  prohlem,  and  like  the  play — "the 
jilan's  the  thing!" 

i\othing  can  be  more  complicated  than  the  in- 
ternal detail  of  a  modern  home.  One  has  but 
to  go  through  a  modern  house  in  process  of 
erection,  to  view  the  network  of  flues  and  pipes 
and  wires  that  represent  the  complete  and  sys- 
tematic treatment  of  heating,  lighting,  drainage 
and  ventilation  problems — to  wonder  how  one 
head  could  ever  contrive  that  all  these  should  be 
exactly  placed,  should  fulfill  what  was  expected 
of  them,  yet  not  interfere  with  the  artistic  ap- 
pearance of  the  rooms  when  completed.  Those 
people  who  imagine  they  have  "planned"  a  house 
when  they  have  laid  out  the  various  rooms  of 
a  floor,  labeled  them  respectively  and  marked 
the  "openings,"  have  little  conception  of  the  real 
work  of  the  architect,  who  must  bring  all  this 
together  and  make  provision  for  each  practical 
requirement. 

THE,    COLONIAL   TYPE, 

What  is  known  as  the  "( )ld  Colonial  "  style, 
is  a  type  of  domestic  architecture  which  has  had 
a  decided  Renaissance  of  its  own  in  recent  years, 
and  offers  a  fertile  field  for  the  application  of 
the  classic  forms  before  described.  Its  prototype 
is,  of  course,  the  English  Georgian  of  the  seven- 
teen century,  brought  over  by  the  early  colonists, 
Imt  carried  out  in  its  new  environments  with  a 
certain  simplicity  which  invested  it  with  a  char- 

209 


;w;grtH 

•^^L 

!»■■ 


actcr  of  its  own.  Historic  associations  doubtless 
have  quite  a  sliare  in  the  favor  with  which  this 
type  of  builcHni;-  has  been  received,  and  it  has 
influenced  the  style  of  dwellings  even  where  there 
is  no  attempt  at  a  direct  revival,  showing  itself 
in  a  quite  unconventional  and  indirect  use  of 
Georgian  detail  such  as  porch  columns  and 
rounded  window  heads  upon  cottages  and  the 
lik-e,  without  pretension  to  any  serious  style.  The 
great  majority  of  modern  American  brick  houses 
are  modifications  of  either  the  Georgian  or  the 
Jacobean  types.  These  historic  styles  are 
peculiarly  appropriate  to  brick  construction,  and 
are  moreover  ada[)te(l  to  the  comparatively  mod- 
est dimensions  of  the  majority  of  dwellings.  The 
improved  forms  of  American  hydraulic  pressed 
brick  with  their  beautiful  coloring  and  resistance 
to  the  weather,  have  made  this  an  extremelv 
popular  material. 

The  stately  mansion  in  Fig.  14  composed  from 
red  brick  with  trimmings  of  white  wood,  is  a 
fine  example  of  the  richness  that  is  possible  in 
the  severely  pure  Colonial  style  with  modern 
treatment.     Certainly  it  is 

"A  noble   pile 
Baronial  and   Colonial   in   its   style." 

The  feature  of  the  building  is  the  classic  treat- 
ment of  the  porte-cochere  and  entrance.  The 
stately  portico  in  front  is  carried  up  to  the  second 
story ;  the  supporting  columns  are  of  the  Ionic 
order  while  a  deep  entablature  and  dentiled 
cornice  runs  entirely  around  the  building.  This 
is  crowned  by  a  light  and  graceful  balustrade. 
The  ends  of  the  building  are  similarly  treated, 
and  the  whole  forms  an  exceedingly  impressive 
facade  characterized  by  absolute  symmetrv  of 
design   in  all  its  i)arts. 

211 


Old  Mansion  in  Salem,  Mass.     Fig.   13 


Fig.  15  is  an  example  of  a  genuine  Jacobean: 
front,  a  photograph  of  an  old  brick  mansion  in: 
Salem,  Mass.  The  dominating  feature  is  plainly^ 
tlic  entrance,  repeated  and  emphasized  in  the 
detail  of  the  balconied  window  directly  over  it 
212 


in  its  arched  and  cnil)rasurc(|  sctlin.^;.  Possiljly 
this  door  was  imported  direct  from  the  mother 
conntry,  as  the  handsome  mahogany  doors  of 
such  a  house  of  this  period  were  quite  apt  to  be. 
Certainl}-  the  classic  features  then  in  use  in 
Eni;land  were  adopted  in  this  Xevv  England 
mansion  with  fine  architectural  effect,  in  the 
grouping  of  the  entrance  with  the  windows,  the 
beauty  of  the  proportions,  the  simplicity  of  the 
entablature  and  the  grace  of  the  Ionic  columns, 
their  repeat  in  the  framing  pilasters  of  the  door- 
way and  the  window  above,  the  use  of  the  shell 
ornament  and  traceried  glass — all  are  features 
of  Colonial  architecture  at  its  best.  Our  an- 
cestors paid  more  attention  to  their  doorways 
than  do  their  descendants,  and  both  design  and 
detail  were  invested  with  more  of  interest.  The 
doorway  reproduced  is  an  example  of  such 
treatment.  Although  Colonial  work  in  New 
England  differed  in  many  particulars  from 
that  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  South,  the  felici- 
tous treatment  of  the  entrance  was  common  to 
all  sections,  and  instances  are  scattered  all  over 
the  country.  It  was  indeed  a  happy  chance  that 
brought  our  English  forefathers  sailing  over  seas 
to  their  new  home  at  the  period  of  the  classic 
revival  in  England.  They  brought  the  memories 
of  the  Georgian  mansions  with  them,  and 
straightway  proceeded  to  adapt  these  beautiful 
forms  to  the  ])lcntiful  wood  of  the  virgin  forests 
instead  of  confining  them  to  brick  and  stone. 
A'ignola's  two-story  columns  were  indeed  some- 
times formed  of  selected  trees,  of  suitable  size, 
and  the  flutes  chiselled  out  by  hand.  These  early 
architects  were  able  to  carry  the  spirit  and  detail 

213 


of  the  simpler  classic  forms  into  wood,  with  grace 
and  fitness.  It  was  a  style  well  adapted  to  the 
river  banks  or  forest  glades  chosen  by  the  Colon- 
ists for  their  homes.  The  "white  pillared  houses 
of  the  South"  were  extremely  architectural  in 
composition  and  adapted  to  the  southern  climate. 
The  column  feature  of  the  Greek  revival  became 
exceedingly  popular,  and  it  is  reported  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  who  was  a  devoted  admirer  of  the 
classic  style,  that  he  employed  all  five  of  the 
classic  orders  in  the  architecture  of  his  own 
dwelling.  The  veranda — so  distinctive  a  feature 
of  American  houses  of  today  both  North  and 
South,  was  originated  in  the  South  and  was  a 
necessity  of  that  climate.  It  developed  into 
double  galleries,  and  gave  opportunity  for  the 
lofty  pillars  so  dear  to  the  Southern  heart.  The 
veranda  has  grown  to  be  a  feature  of  dwellings 
in  all  sections,  and  is  a  large  part  of  family  life 
in  the  heated  term.  Of  late,  an  effort  has  been 
made  by  would-be  purists  in  architectural  circles, 
to  do  away  with  this  delightful  adjunct  to  the 
dwelling.  It  is  true  the  veranda  has  been  greatly 
abused  and  often  the  house  made  a  mere  attach- 
ment to  the  piazza,  while  interiors  have  suffered 
from  lack  of  sunlight  and  been  rendered  gloomy 
and  unsanitary  from  the  heavy  shading  of  many 
porches.  But  anything  can  be  carried  to  the  ex- 
treme and  reach  the  point  of  abuse  instead  of 
use,  just  as  correct  and  logical  reasoning  can  be 
pressed  so  far  as  to  become  the  "reiliictio  ad 
absurdiim/'  The  veranda  is  quite  too  sensible 
and  delightful  a  feature  of  dwellings  to  dispense 
with,  and  will  die  hard.     It  has,  on  the  contrary, 

214 


Semi^Colonial    Cottage.     Fig.    16 

bcxn  exported  from  America  to  the  Continent, 
where  it  appears  upon  many  of  the  recently  built 
dwelling's. 

While  porches  offer  great  opportimity  for  the 
use  of  classic  features,  sometimes  the  full  order, 
with  pedestal,  column  capital  and  pediment  being 
employed,  with  a  crowning  balustrade  or  para- 
pet, these  stately  eitects  are  not  the  only  ones 
possible.  Much  skill  and  ingenuity  is  shown  ])y 
architects  in  the  use  of  posts  and  colunms  on  tlie 
smaller  houses,  in  a  manner  entirely  orthodox 
yet  not  out  of  place  in  a  mixed  design,  and  with 
a  touch  of  lightness  more  consistent  with  less 
important  work.  Such  a  method  of  employing 
Colonial  models  without  a  strict  adherence  to 
the  style  is  shown  in  the  semi-Colonial  design. 
Fig.  i6,  where  much  charm  is  given  to  a  simple 
cottage  exterior  by  the  slender  columns  with 
Ionic  capitals,  by  the  classic  pediment  over  the 
porch  cornice  and  by  the  repeat  of  the  half  circle 
in  the  front  gable. 

215 


Fi.c^s.  1/  and  i8  show  us  a  genuine  old  colonial 
house  of  the  Georgian  type,  a  brick  house  built 
at  Bardstown,  Kentucky,  one  hundred  years  ago 
and  recently  restored  by  new  owners  who  have 
been  careful  to  preserve  all  the  original  features 
both  of  exterior  and  interior.  Owing  to  its  ex- 
cellent state  of  preservation,  and  possession  of 
that  quality  of  permanence  before  alluded  to — 
a  quality  as  excellent  in  houses  as  in  Shake- 
speare's "low  voice  in  women" — this  was  easily 
accomplished.  The  small  cut  sliows  the  house 
as  originally  built,  and  through,  snowy  branches 


Built  in   1806.      Fig.    18 

we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  restored  facade  with  the 
added  portico  sup])orted  by  Corinthian  columns, 
a  feature  frequently  occurring  in  Southern 
Colonial  work  though  rare  in  the  East.  The  roof 
lines  are  unbroken  except  for  a  low  pediment 
containing  a  half  circle  window — a  repeat  of 
the  circular  door  head  below.  The  ])hotographs 
of  the  interior  presented  are  very  interesting, 
as  the  detail  of  the  woodwork  is  a  fine  example 
of  the  best  Georgian  interior  treatment  of  that 
period.    Whatever  of  primness  and  severity  may 

217 


have  characterized  the  exterior  of  a  seventeenth 
century  brick  colonial  house,  in  this  one  at  least 
it  did  not  extend  to  the  interior.  Formal  and 
cold  may  be  the  entrance : 

"But  behind  it.  where's  a  trace 

Of  the  starchness  and  reserve 

And  formal  lines  without  a  curve." 

The  curves  of  the  arched  and  recessed  niches 
on  either  side  the  drawing;  room  mantel  and  the 
grace  of  the  beautiful  Palladian  window  in  the 
dining"  room  are  representative  of  the  refined 
working  out  of  classic  forms  in  the  entire  detail 
of  the  interior.  The  eye  rests  with  quiet  satis- 
faction on  the  beautiful  mouldings,  the  wealth 
of  hand-carved  flutes  and  beads  and  the  delicate 
modeling  of  the  mantel  detail  shov.'ing  the  ter- 
minating gold  scrolls  on  either  side  the  mirror 
which  were  a  favorite  decoration  of  the  period. 
The  fireplaces  with  their  mantels  carried  up  to 
the  ceiling,  were  among  the  main  features  of 
Colonial  interiors.  Xiches,  however,  do  not  of- 
ten occur  in  Colonial  work  though  a  common 
decorative  device  of  the  period  in  England.  In 
the  instance  before  us  they  have  been  treated 
with  fine  efTect.  the  fluted  shells  in  the  arched 
head  touched  with  gold.  This  use  of  gold  in 
connection  with  white  woodwork  was  a  Georgian 
feature  of  choice  design  imitated  from  the  en- 
richment of  Greek  temples.  In  old  Colonial 
houses,  the  remains  of  this  gold  leaf  ornamen- 
tation still  show  on  the  woodwork  of  parlors  or 
drawing  rooms.  All  the  carving  and  ornamen- 
tation of  the  interior  detail  is  hand  work,  whose 
perfection  is  a  silent  protest  against  the  cheap 

219 


and   meretricious   niachine   work   of   the   present 
tmie.     In  Fig.  20  we  liave  an  adaptation  of  Xew 
England  Colonial  to  modern  requirements,  hav- 
ing the  merit  of  good  proportion  and  pure  de- 
sign.    The  efifect  of  similar  treatment  of  parts 
varying  in  size  and  importance  is  happily  illus- 
trated in  the  three  roof  dormers,  which  together 
with   the   central   projecting   bay   of  the   second 
story  form  the  dominant   feature  of  the  design. 
The  windows   are  effectively  placed  and  classi- 
cally treated.     The  triple  cluster  of  pillars  at  the 
angles   of   the  jjorch,   are   instances   of   carefullv 
followed  detail.     The  "white  pillared  porch"  and 
trim  are  relieved  against  the  Inift'  brick  and  gray 
stone  with  excellent  effect. 

Fig.  21  shows  similar  treatment  of  Colonial 
design.  The  application  of  classic  motifs  to 
plaster  construction,  is  a  new  departure  in  de- 
sign, but  the  photograph  of  this  beautiful  Cal- 
ifornia home  in  San  lAIateo,  proves  it  to  be  an 
entirely  successful  conception.  One  of  the  an- 
cient Greek-  temples  crowning  the  Acropolis, 
could  scarce  be  purer  in  design  than  this  severe 
and  stately  country  house,  so  admirably  suited 
to  its  setting  of  classic  groves— "Sequestered 
among  trees— a  noble  pile." 

The  dominant  form  is  the  rectangle,  the  ex- 
terior having  all  the  rectitude  of  classic  design 
in  the  treatment  of  its  main  feature— the  lofty 
columns  of  the  portico,  terminating  in  Roman 
composite  capitals  of  beautiful  workmanship  a- 1 
supporting  an  entablature  and  cornice  of  chaste 
and  simple  desio-n.  A  light  balustrade  crowns 
the  front  projection  and  is  continued  in  the 
221 


ratlicr  severe  and  unhrokeii  line  of  the  i)arapet 
around  the  rest  of  the  Ijuildini^.  Below  the  cor- 
nice is  the  sole  ornamentation  of  the  wall — a 
continuous  band  of  laurel  leaves,  beautifully 
molded  in  relief. 

The  sole  criticism  upon  this  charming-  design 
would  be  the  paucity  of  the  windows  and  their 
inferior  treatment,  which  is  not  in  keeping  with 
the  nobilitv  of  the  Sfeneral  desifrn. 


The  Dutch  c^amljrel  roof  offers  another  type 
of  Okf  Colonial  design  which  possesses  in  large 
measure  that  essential  charm  of  "hominess" 
which  appeals  to  a  home  loving  people.  It  is 
plain  that  the  fine  lines  of  these  old  roofs,  with 
the  fascinating  Dutch  hoods  at  the  eaves,  have 
been  understood  and  appreciated  by  the  architect 
of  this  beautiful  modern  home,  while  all  the 
subtle  rennemcnts  of  modern  detail  have  been 
added.  A\'hen  to  these  is  added  the  color  effect 
of  modern  stains  in  the  soft  and  velvety  brown 
of  the  shingles  relieved  by  the  deep  cream  of 
cornice  and  trim,  we  have  an  irresistible  con- 
bination  of  old  beauties  and  new. 

It  is  surely  a.  happy  thing  to  have  been  like 
Holmes,  in  his  delightful  essay, 

"Born  in  a  house  with  a  gambrel  roof — 
Standing  still,  if  you  must  have  proof — 

It  has  not  the  "presence"  of  the  stately  old 
Georgian  palaces — that  seem  to  hold  themselves 
far  aloof  from  common  clay.  But  its  unpretend- 
ing lines  give  assurance  of  a  kindly  welcome, 
holding  out  a  friendly  hand  to  all.  Nor  does 
it  lack  dignity  and  a  certain  nobleness  of  aspect. 
It  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  less  pretentious 

223 


.cottage  arcliitccture,  and  many  and  varied  are 
its  applications.  The  gambrcl  roof  type  lends 
itself  admirably  to  picturesque  locations  and  the 
unconventional  character  of  a  country  house. 
The  charming  example  shown  crowns  a  wooded 
knoll  with  a  view  of  blue  water,  and  though  fif- 
teen miles  out  of  the  city  is  the  owner's  all-the- 
}ear-round  residence.  The  house  is  suljstantial 
and  rugged,  but  not  assertive  or  aggressive.  The 
basement  walls  of  many-hued  cobblestone,  meet 
the  low  sweep  of  the  roof  of  mossy  green,  and 
both  together  softly  melt  into  the  landscape. 
The  grey  roughness  of  the  stone  is  softened  bv 
clinging  vines  and  projecting  balconies  add  in- 
terest, as  well  as  the  Colonial  treatment  of  the 
windows.  Such  a  house  is  a  fit  expression  of 
taste  and  feeling  for  quiet  lovers  of  country 
lanes  and  byways  not  too  remote  from  other  fire- 
sides.    The  sort  of  place  that  is 

'Town,  yet   country   too;   you    felt  the   warmth 
Of  clustering  houses  in  the  winter  time, 
Supped  with  a  friend  and  went  by  lantern  home ; 
Yet  from  your  chamber  window  you  could  hear 
The  tiny  bleat  of  new-weaned  Iambs,  and  see 
The  children  bend  beside  the  prederous  bank 
To  pluck  the  primrose. " 

The  overhang  of  the  second  story  which  is 
such  a  feature  of  old  English  houses,  grew  out 
of  the  desire  to  preserve  the  wall  below  from  the 
weather.  The  modern  adaptation  of  this  feature 
considers  its  picturesque  quality  rather  than  its 
preservative,  and  the  additional  space  gained  on 
the  upper  floor. 

In  this  pleasing  cottage,  both  the  gambrel  ror,." 

225 


and  the  over-han^-  of  the  second  story  are  used 
to  produce  a  feeling-  of  quiet  comfort  at  small 
expense.  Such  a  house  makes  one  think  of  an 
old-time  garden,  with  syringa  bushes  and  a 
clump  of  lilacs ;  of  gilly  flowers  and  sweet- 
williams,  and  all  the  rest  of  old  fashioned  asso- 
ciations. 

Probably  no  type  has  been  more  abused  than 
the  Colonial.  All  the  box-like  structures — "four 
square  to  the  winds  of  heaven" — with  a  porch 
and  a  few  white  posts  clapped  against  the  front, 
are  painted  either  white,  or  buff  with  white  trim, 
and  dubbed  Colonial. 

The  last  few  \ears  have  seen  an  era  of  Colo- 
nial Renaissance.  Everything  Colonial  is  revived 
• — not  only  architecture  but  furniture,  wall  paper, 
dress — everything  but  the  courtly  manners. 
There  is  ineed  no  form  of  domestic  architecture 
which  appeals  so  strongly  to  the  American  mind. 
The  Colonial  home  had  an  atmosphere  that  no 
other  st}le  excels,  and  moreover  represents  the 
period  dearest  to  the  American  heart,  of  the 
struggle  for  freedom.  The  simple,  straightfor- 
ward designs  of  early  American  homes  were 
modeled  on  a  pure  style  and  so  possessed  per- 
manent value ;  a  st\-le  which  when  correctly  car- 
ried out  and  not  depreciated  by  meaningless  and 
ostentatious  ornament — never  fails  to  please. 

The  style  itself  is  not  responsible  for  the  va- 
garies of  architects  and  their  clients,  though 
these  have  contributed  not  a  little  to  bring  it  into 
disrepute. 


227 


SPANISH=AME.R1CAN 

Some  of  the  best  of  our  modern  American  de- 
sign has  been  inspired  by  the  semi-Spanish  style 
of  buildings  transplanted  to  Mexico  and  south- 
ern California  by  the  ancient  Spanish  Dens  and 
the  ]\Iission  Fathers. 

The  steady  warmth  and  brilliant  sunshine  of 
that  section  was  exceedingly  favorable  to  such 
a  style,  and  its  beautiful  forms  and  vivid  color- 
ing are  in  perfect  harmony  with  its  local  environ- 
ment. 

The  class  of  house  architecture  evolved  from 
the  rather  primitive  forms  of  the  original  quasi- 
Spanish  buildings  of  this  section,  show  extremely 
thoughtful  and  intelligent  work,  and  is  in  a 
high  degree  artistic  and  interesting. 

The  principal  material  used  in  this  style  of 
construction  is  plaster  or  cement,  which  is  some- 
times partially  combined  with  wood,  as  in  the 
example  shown  in.  I-ig.  24.  The  Spanish-Ameri- 
can style  is,  however,  best  and  usually  expressed 
in  strictly  cement  construction,  except,  of  course, 
the  necessary  f  ram  in-';  of  the  openings.  And  a 
most  effective  medium  it  is  for  expressing  this 
fascinating  Moorish  type. 

In  the  Ponce  de  Leon  hotel  at  St.  Augustine. 
Fla.,  we  have  probably  the  finest  example  of 
Moresque  design  in  the  country,  as  applied  to  a 
large  building.  Hotel  architecture  is  too  often 
an  ugly  hodge-podge  of  the  more  worthless 
forms  of  design.  Nobody  seems  to  care  how 
these  great  caravansaries  look  except  to  have 
them  make  a  show.  French  characteristics  of  the 
more  florid  sort  are  frequently  adopted  for  hotel 

229 


dcsig^i  and  even  intensified,  in  meaningless  deco- 
ration. This  beautiful  southern  buildinc:,  while 
engagin,Q;  and  festive  in  style,  has  real  merit  in 
design.  Two  views  are  given,  one  showing  the 
building  as  a  whole  with  the  splendid  pleasure 
grounds  in  front,  and  the  other,  the  inner  court 
behind  the  arcaded  entrance.  In  the  latter  vievv^ 
we  have  a  glimpse  of  the  central  dome  rising 

"I-"air  as  the  domes  of  Kubla  Khan," 
and  of  the  upper  arcaded  gallery  used  for  a 
promenade.  The  photograph,  however,  fails  to 
reproduce  the  elegance  of  the  ornamentation,  the 
delicately  sculptured  wreaths  and  arabesf|ues 
over  the  entrance  arches  of  the  arcade,  the  detail 
of  the  v.'indow  framing  and  the  light  and  grace- 
ful balustrades. 

The  building  itself  is  of  cream  colored  plaster 
with  dressings  and  enrichments  of  light  red 
terra  cotta  and  roof  of  red  tile,  a  coloring  ad- 
mirably suited  to  the  gay  and  festive  character  of 
the  structure  and  its  environment  of  odoriferous 
gardens  filled  with  glowing  bloom  and  sparkling 
fountains.  If  the  famous  Spanish  adventurer 
for  whom  the  hotel  is  named  could  come  to  life 
under  these  graceful  arches  some  moonlight 
evening,  surely  he  would  imagine  himself  at 
home  in  old  Granada,  perchance  in  the  beautiful 
garden  of  Lindaraxa.  Perhaps  no  feature  of  this 
example  of  Spanish  Renaissance  is  more  faith- 
fully reproduced  than  the  central  tower,  with  its 
hanging  balconies  and  arcaded  openings  of  the 
top  story  crowned  with  a  light  and  graceful  bal- 
ustrade and  red-tiled  spire. 

\\  ithin    the   l)uilding.     ever}thing    contributes- 

231 


•%  \ 


■rS 


%i^ 


% 


r'-.-£ 


'  ^       '■%.' 


\'^  ^ 


Fresco    Decor&tion.      Fig.  27 

to  render  the  interior  an  abode  of  Oriental  mag- 
nificence. The  walls  are  frescoed  with  the  spirit 
and  grace  of  mural  decoration  in  the  days  when 
]vlichael  Angelo  and  his  pupils  executed  their 
wonderful  frescoes  on  the  villas  of  Roman  pa- 
tricians. A  small  section  of  one  of  the  frescoes 
in  the  Ponce  de  Leon  is  illustrated. 

The  Hotel  Cordova  while  illustrating  a  differ- 
ent phase  of  this  architecture,  is  another  instance 
of  the  successful  transplanting  of  ancient  Span- 
ish ideas  to  Western  soil.  One  might  almost 
fancy  they  were  gazing  upon  the  Lonja  of  old 
Cordova  itself,  to  look  up  at  the  grey,  massive 
tower,  and  that  some  dark  eyed  beauty  looked 
down  from  the  deep  embrazures  of  the  jMoorish 
openings.  The  tower  is  most  skillfully  lightened 
by  the  cornice  decoration  and  the  horizontal 
treatment  of  its  divisions. 

233 


mi 


Hotel  Cordova  with  Moorish  To'wer.     Fig.  2  8 

The  Saracenic  inrtuence  which  pervaded  Span- 
ish architecture  finds  a  wide  field  in  the  Spanish- 
American  type,  and  its  graceful  and  elegant  forms 
are  marked  features  of  the  modern  designs.  Look- 
ing at  the  example  of  this  type  in  Fig.  29  one 
might  well  fancy  oneself  in  Spain,  among  the 
groves  of  dark  cypress  on  the  mountain  side, 
looking  down  upon  this  Moorish  palace  in  its 
setting  of  rich  valleys  enamelled  with  olive  or- 
chards and  orange  groves  and  vineyards,  with 
the  notes  of  some  arrafia — ^loorish  flute — faintly 
heard    in   the    distance. 


234 


Mere,  too,  we  have  the  typical  "patio"  or 
inner  court,  a  charm  never  absent  from  Aloorish 
palace  or  humbler  chvelling.  Against  the  gray 
plaster  walls,  the  creepers  cling  like  lace,  with 
the  ruby  blossom  of  passion  flowers  gleaming 
among  them  and  jasmine  stars  hanging  in  long, 
swinging  sprays.  Luxuriant  vines  half  conceal 
the  grey  arches,  and  scarlet  Poinsettias  flame  in 
the  angles.  All  the  living  rooms  open  from  this 
court,  and  the  doorways  thereto  are  filled  with 
wrought  iron  screens  worked  out  in  a  scheme 
of  open  work  rosettes,  floral  lines  and  conven- 
tionalized flower  motifs,  in  true  Saracenic  style. 
The  floors  are  of  ornamental  tile,  and  the  interior 
walls  have  oriental  decoration  in  color. 

Certainly  the  Spanish  prototype  of  this  equally 
fascinating  }ifoorish  design  could  not  have  been 
fairer  than  these  soft  cream-colored  walls,  with 
the  graceful  arabesque  outlines  of  the  roof  treat- 
ment and  enriched  with  decoration  in  relief. 
Kven  the  chimney  caps  are  shaped  like  flower 
cups.  The  characteristic  red  tile  of  the  roof, 
repeated  in  the  hood  over  the  main  entrance 
gives  sufficient  color  relief,  and  the  slender  pil- 
lars supporting  the  :\Iajava  arches  of  the  arcade 
are  typical  Moorish  features. 

^\  hile  entirely  different  and  more  fanciful  in 
its  architecture  from  the  preceding  example, 
this  residence  is  a  fertile  field  for  the  study  of 
Spanish-American  design. 

The  charming  view  of  the  patio,  or  inner 
court,  might  easily  have  been  modeled  upon  the 
famous  Court  of  Lions  in  the  Alhambra,  such  a 
dream  of  delicate  beauty  does  it  appear.     Here, 

237 


indeed,  is  the  same  Vu^hl  and  fragile  colonnade, 
its  fretted  arches  supported  by  slender  columns, 
and  ornamented  with  arabesques  in  relief  and 
fine  stucco  work.  Here,  as  in  its  Spanish  pro- 
totype, the  light  falls  from  a  lofty,  vaulted  dome, 
and  the  brilliant  sunshine  gleams  along  the  col- 
onnades and  sparkles  over  the  fountain  and  the 
rare  flowers.  It  needs  but  little  fancy  to  con- 
jure up  some  black-eyed.  Andalusian  Dolores  re- 
clining on  the  couches  and  ottomans  of  the  ar- 
cade, behina  the  sheltering  foliage,  enjoying  the 
pure  breezes  from  the  mountains,  the  musical 
drip  of  the  fountain,  and  the  scent  of  roses  and 
myrtles. 

Smiilar  in  character  but  not  so  elaborate  in 
treatment  is  Fig.  31,  with  the  square  ^Moorish 
tower  so  frequent  a  feature  of  old  Spanish  archi- 
tecture, projecting  from  the  center.  The  grace- 
ful outline  of  the  roof  coping,  the  delicacv  of 
the  columns,  the  slender  bending  arches,  the  ele- 
gant filagree  work,  the  grouping  of  the  openings, 
the  jalconies  and  traceried  windows  are  felicitous 
adaptations  of  Saracenic  motives. 

Thus  in  "our  Italy,"' — or  Spain,  as  you  will — 
Moorish  types  of  architecture  have  found  a  con- 
genial home.  It  is  an  architecture  fitted  to  a 
background  of  mountains  rugged  and  deeply  ser- 
rated in  outline,  mysterious  with  ]niri)le  shadows 
and  snow}-  peaks  and  an  atmosphere  suffused 
with  sunshine.  The  plaster  walls,  either  in  their 
natural  soft,  creamy  white  or  more  deeply  tinted 
by  artificial  processes,  appear  to  belong  to  the 
scene. 

Several  examples  of  this  type  of  architecture 

239 


are  given  here,  the  one  in  Fig.  ^2  showing  the 
plaster  wall  ornamented  in  Saracenic  style  with 
an  elahorate  (liai)er  pattern.     The  roofs,  general- 
I\-  of  tile  a  light  red  in  color,  are  another  marked 
fcattire  of  this  construction ;  though  sometimes 
the  plaster  walls  are  combined  with  shingle  roofs. 
Fig-   Z?)    shows   how   the   Saracenic   forms   of 
decoration   may  he  applied   in  the  interior  of  a 
modern  home,  being  the  window  treatment  of  an 
outdoor  sitting  room,  a  sort  of  "observation  car" 
adjunct,    opening   upon    a    lovely   garden.      The 
clTect  obtained  by  the  circle  of  arcaded  windows 
filled  wdth  delicate  tracery  and  divided  by  slen- 
der pilasters    with   ornamental   capitals,   and    its 
choice  and  sequestered  situation  along  the  little 
garden,  are  strongly  suggestive  of  Moorish  fan- 
cy, and  might  belong  to  the  bower  of  some  Moor- 
ish sultana. 

The  broad,  low  and  simple  lines  of  this  ex- 
ample of  frame  construction  are  extremely  rest- 
ful and  pleasing,  and  indicate  how  the  feeling 
which  is  so  marked  in  pseudo  Spanish  plaster 
dwellings  may  to  a  certain  degree  be  imparted  to 
a  less  symi^athetic  material  by  the  general  lines 
and  the  treatment  of  the  openings,  the  hanging 
balcony  over  the  entrance  and  the  air  of  seclu- 
sion ctjnveyed  by  simply  recessing"  the  entrance 
to  a  sort  of  loggia  effect.  In  the  small  one  story 
cottage,  quite  a  Moorish  feeling  is  effected  bv 
the  outline  of  the  roof  gable  and  the  arched 
openings. 

The  Spanish  Fathers  who  came  to  Christianize 
Xew  Mexico,  as  it  then  was,  remembered  well 
their  lessons  in  architecture  tauc:ht  bv  the  Mocr  ■ 


241 


Plaster  Cottage.     Fig.  34 

ish  conquerors  of  Spain,  and  used  them  when 
they  came  across  seas  in  the  serrated  cornice 
lines,  long  facades,  thick  walls,  red  tiled  roofs, 
and  other  striking  features  of  the  California  Old 
Missions.  ^lodern  architects  have  heen  quick 
to  seize  the  poetic  heauty  of  these  forms  and  fuse 
them  into  a  most  attractive  and  unique  Spauish- 
.\merican  type.  That  the  type  is  capable  of 
much  elasticity  in  application,  is  shown  by  the 
accompan}ing  photograph,  so  attractive  that  one 
is  seized  with  an  immediate  desire  to  build  such 
a  house.  It  is,  of  course,  a  very  free  use  of  a 
few  ^Moresque  features :  such  as  the  treatment 
of  the  openings,  which  together  with  the  soft 
cream  colored  plaster  and  red  tiles  give  a  slight 
Saracenic  feeling  to  the  design,  yet  enough  to 
make  it  perceptible,  while  the  wide  eaves  and  low 
walls  impart  a  homelike  atmosphere  as  surely 
as  the  thatched  roof  of  an  English  farm  house. 
Altogether,  the  simplicity  of  outline  and  of  de- 
tail in  this  example  of  plaster  construction,  make 
it  one  of  the  happiest  instances  of  use  of  these 
motives. 

The  ])Seudo-Spanish  t\]>e  of  architecture,  light, 

243 


gay  and  graceful — is  well  suited  to  domestic 
work,  and  beside  ])eing  quite  unlike  any  other  is 
a    perfectly    legitimate   architectural   style. 

The  ]\Ioors  were  a  no!)le  race,  who  for  eight 
centuries  held  their  footing  in  Spain  and  adorned 
the  land  they  had  conquered  not  only  by  widely 
encouraging  art  and  learning  in  every  field,  but 
with  a  beautiful  architecture  which  could  never 
have  been  conceived  by  Europeans.  Only  the 
poetic  fancy  of  the  Orient,  full  of  splendour, 
with  a  fascinating  use  of  color,  could  conceive  it. 
In  those  southern  lands,  the  bright  sunlight 
brings  out  each  fine  detail  of  the  ornamentation, 
and  each  deep  shadow  from  molding  and  cornice 
is  clear  cut  and  sharply  defined.  The  use  of 
wrought  iron  in  window  gratings  and  balconies 
was  simple  but  efifective,  and  an  effect  easily 
transferred  to  modern  uses. 

The  patio  or  court,  always  a  feature  of  the 
Moorish  dwelling,  found  instant  welcome  and 
sympathetic  treatment  in  an  American  Spain. 
The  easily  worked  stucco  ottered  a  tempting  field 
for  decoration,  and  is  imperishable  in  that  cli- 
mate. The  old  Spanish  haciendas  and  patios  of 
near-by  Mexico  were  an  additional  inspiration. 
The  use  of  colored  washes,  changing  the  natural 
grey  or  white  of  the  cement  to  deep,  soft,  yellow- 
ish creams,  or  suffusing  it  with  a  sea-shell  pink, 
or  cooling  it  to  tender  greens — added  to  the 
warm,  rich  red  of  the  Spanish  tiled  roofs — im- 
parted an  interest,  v^dien  handled  with  skill, 
which  becomes  an  object  lesson  in  the  ur^e  of 
color  in  architecture.  Such  an  object  lesson  is 
one  oi'  t'le    luuiicinal  buildings  in  IMexico  Cit\ , 

245 


which  is  tinted  a  pale  violet  color  with  white 
stucco  decoration.  There  too  you  may  see  a 
more  reserved  coloring  in  the  shops,  the  fronts 
colored  a  rich  maroon  with  stucco  ornamen.ts  in 
the  same  color.  The  late  Banister  Fletcher,  an 
architect  of  note,  designed  a  liusincss  front  in 
( )xford  street,  London,  where  the  rustications 
were  of  hronze  green  enameled  clay,  and  the 
front  enriched  by  dull  gold  ornamentation  on  the 
pilasters. 

The  great  Puritan  movement  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  took  all  the  color  out  of  life  and 
out  of  architecture,  though  before  that  it  was 
freely  employed.  "The  world  grew  gray  at 
its  touch,"  nor  has  it  ever  recovered  from  that 
benumbing  influence. 

Even  now  we  are  shocked  at  any  departure 
from  the  cold  and  colorless  exterior  of  what  is 
considered  correct  architecture.  The  one  excep- 
tion, appears  in  the  ga\ly  painted  wooden  houses 
— birdcages,  we  should  rather  call  them — which 
are  the  hall  mark  of  rni  uncultivated  taste,  and 
certainl}-  no  argument  for  an  artistic  application 
of  color  in  architecture. 

Cement  is  a  medium  which  may  within  a  limit- 
ed range,  be  modified  or  accentuated  by  certain 
earth  colors,  such  as  yellow  ochre,  burnt  sienna, 
raw  umber  and  the  like,  which  when  incorpo- 
rated with  this  material  may  be  combined  with 
the  fine,  creamy  white  of  pure  cement  in  more 
or  less  elaborate  design  to  produce  unusual  but 
extremely  artistic  effects.  These  lowered  tones 
of  color  are  appropriate  where  the  bold,  glowing 
but  refined  color  compositions  of  sunnier  lands, 
would  be  impossible  without  the  atmosphere  that 
brings  them  into  harmony. 

247 


HALF    TIMBEF.    WORK. 

The  matter  of  pieturescjuc  oulline  in  liouses,  is 
either  too  little  regarded  in  modern  building  or 
else  it  is  completely  misunderstood.  Irregular 
or  picturesque  effects  are,  of  course,  best  adapt- 
ed to  a  country  site,  as  the  liiuitations  of  city  lots 
and  street  architecture  afford  little  room  for  the 
play  of  fancy.  Picturesqueness  does  not,  how- 
ever, necessarily  inipK-  irregularity,  though  that 
appears  to  be  the  conception  of  its  meaning  by 
many  so-called  architects  who  to  quote  a  brilliant 
writer,  conceive  the  picturesque,  as  "anything 
which  may  be  likened  to  a  'pig  with  one  ear.'  * 
:!:  :;:  Tlicsc  arc  the  men  who  stick  chimneys  in 
odd  corners  where  they  are  sure  to  smoke,  put 
dormers  on  roofs  where  they  are  not  wanted, 
throw  out  oriels  to  bathrooms  and  corbel  out 
balconier-  to  closets." 

Far  from  irregularity  ])er  se  being  synony- 
mous with  picturesqueness,  the  note  of  repose, 
must  never  be  wanting.  A  dwelling  is  pictur- 
esque, when  the  various  simple  forms  are  con- 
trasted in  such  a  way  as  to  please  the  eye,  and 
the  design  adapted  to  the  site,  the  surroundings 
and  the  necessities  and  materials  of  construction. 

In  building  chimneys,  for  instance,  what  pic- 
turesque effects  may  be  produced  by  simple  vari- 
ations in  the  management  of  common  brick. 
Any  laborer  could  lay  them  up,  but  it  takes  an 
artist  to  devise  the  forms. 

Compared  with  an  English  cottage  or  rural 
home  of  red  brick  or  mellow  tinted  stone,  or 
black  beams  and  white  plaster,  with  pitched  roofs 
and    softened   ontlines,    how    inferior    in   bcautv, 

249 


Eaton  Hall.     Neo  =  Gothic  Design.     Fij 


38 


tnough  they  may  be  more  economical  to  build. 
More  and  more  these  old  English  models  are  be- 
ing employed.  That  modern  English  architects 
themselves  appreciate  the  charm  of  their  own 
ancient  forms,  is  shown  by  the  revival  of  half 
timber  design  in  this  peculiarly  home-like  man- 
sion of  Eaton  Hall,  Cheshire,  Eng.,  a  fine  speci- 
men of  neo-Gothic  work  of  recent  times,  and 
showing  to  a  marked  degree  the  influence  of  the 
old  work  surrounding"  it.  The  building  is  also 
interesting  as  an  example  of  vertical  method -un- 
disturbed by  any  diagonal  features  of  design. 

The  essentiall}-  English  character  of  the  type 
is  indeed  a  subtle  factor  of  influence  in  its  favor 
with  Americans,  who  are  but  Englishmen  trans- 
ferred to  America;  and  who  feel  unconsciously 
the  tie  of  blood  and  kinship. 

It  is  not,  howi'ver,  mere  sentiment  alone,  nor 
yet  the  mellowing  touch  of  time,  that  gives  to 
these  old  dwellings  their  peculiar  charm,  a  charm 
so  often  missing  from  modern  work.     Some  one 

250 


has  define;!  arcliitecture  as  "'riic  poelic  trans- 
lation of  material  into  structure,"  and  it  is  this 
which  we  somehow  feel  in  the  old  work.  The 
spirit  of  our  own  age  is  not  poetical;  show  and 
ostentation  are  prevailing  influences,  and  are  ex- 
pressed in  much  of  our  modern  building ;  but  the 
modest  charm  of  these  old  houses  will  appeal  to 
many,  who  prefer  the  home  sentiment  to  show. 

While,  perhaps,  we  ma\-  not  care  to  copy  ex- 
actly this  distinctively  English  architecture,  there 
are  certain  ci'.aractcristics  which  can  readily  be 
incorporated  with  advantage  in  our  wood  con- 
struction. The  modern  architect,  it  is  true,  uses 
his  timlier  v/ork  for  effect  and  not  for  construc- 
tive value ;  but  he  continues  the  spirit  of  the 
ancient  style  though  he  may  go  about  it  by  new 
methods. 

There  still  remain  fortunately  many  specimens 
of  the  fine  old  domestic  English  architecture 
wl.ich  prevailed  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth 
century.  Could  it  be  revived  in  its  old  purity, 
free  from  the  hybrid  forms  foisted  upon  it  by 
importations  of  foreign  styles,  we  would  possess 
far  more  interesting  and  individual  dwellings. 
Probably  we  shall  never  return  to  the  workman- 
sh.ip  of  those  days  when  honesty  and  not  sham, 
ch.aractcrized  construction.  Then,  walls  were 
built  to  stand,  and  chimneys  were  so  strong  as  to 
defy  the  picks  of  the  workmen  in  later  centuries 
who  were  taking'  them  down.  The  carving  in 
these  old  gables  is  as  perfect  after  300  years  as 
when  originally  executed,  and  the  oaken  window 
frames,  stairs  and  floors  as  solid,  apparently,  as 
when  first  set  in  place.    The  house  was  originally 

251 


built  in  tliv'  tiftfciuli  cenlury  Ijul  has  been  re- 
paired in  later  times.  The  quaint,  h  If  timbered 
building  with  its  picturesque  quadrangle  con- 
tains a  Saxon  chair  i.ooo  years  old,  but  sturdy 
and  strong ;  the  Spanish  cedar  beams  of  the  hall 
look  as  well  as  if  put  up  yesterday.  In  a  re- 
cent issue  of  a  building  magazine  there  appeared 
an  account  of  a  six-room  house  begun  and  coni- 
jileted  from  chimney  to  foundation  stone,  plas- 
tered, painted  and  all — in  one  day.  The  man 
who  compassed  this  truly  remarkable  feat  plumed 
himself  greatly  thereon,  and  delivered  a  con- 
gratulatory address  to  the  crowd  of  workmen 
\vho  did  the  job.  It  seemed  to  us  a  sad  com- 
mentary on  the  feverish  "rushing"  of  building 
contracts,  which  is  deadly  to  any  true  worth  in 
architectural  work. 

There  is  no  denying  that  permanency  is  not  a 
characteristic  of  modern  architecture,  even  in 
expensive  public  buildings.  The  three  qualities 
insisted  upon  by  the  ancient  Greeks  as  essentials 
in  architecture  were  permanence,  loeauty  and 
convenience;  and  however  much  we  may  pride 
(lurs'jlvcs  upon  excelling  our  teachers  in  the  last 
qnalit\-.  we  certainly  cannot  compare  with  them 
in  ilie  first.  The  fault,  however,  lies  with  the 
builder,  not  the  architect,  who  must  design  to 
suit  the  taste  and  purse  of  his  client. 

Tb.c  half  timber  example  in  Fig.  40  is  a  proof 
that  modern  architects  are  quick  to  seize  the 
salient  features  of  this  fascinating  style.  The 
house  is  studied  from  one  of  the  beautiful  old 
manors  of  the  half  timber  period,  which,  begin- 
nintr  about   fifty  years  before  Elizabeth's   reien. 


253 


Modern  Elizabethan  Design.     Fig.  41 


cxlcnded  to  fifty  years  after.  Xo  lictter  type 
could  have  been  chosen  for  the  rugc^ed  and  pic- 
turesque character  of  the  site. 

While  the  modern  architect  is  learning  lessons 
from  the  old  builders  in  sincerity  of  workman- 
ship and  in  attention  to  picturesque  outline,  he 
far  surpasses  them  in  the  comfort  and  conven- 
ience of  his  interiors.  P^icturesque  as  the  English 
farmhouse  is  at  a  distance,  our  clapboarded  and 
painted  boxes  are  at  least  dry  and  warm,  with 
abundance  of  light  and  cheer  within,  and  this 
cannot  be  said  of  the  often  leaky  roofs  and  damp 
brick  floors  of  the  English  cottages. 

The  pleasing  example  of  modern  half  timber 
construction  sb.own  in  Fig.  41  combines  the 
picturesque   charm    nf   the   old   post    and    petrel 

255 


work  will]  imuleni  ideas  of  convenience.  j)racti- 
cability  and  comfort  in  a  felicitous  manner. 

Observe  how  all  the  features  which  give  charm 
to  this  style  of  dwelling,  are  incorporated  in  the 
exterior  of  the  design — the  long,  sloping  roof 
with  its  shar])ly  pointed  gables  treated  with  post 
and  petrel  work,  the  delightful  oriel  window,  be- 
low, and  bay  of  the  front  gable  filled  with  small 
diamond  panes,  the  whole  design  expressing  that 
essentially  English  character  of  domesticity  and 
picturesqueness  referred  to,  yet  with  the  added 
beauty  and  comfort  of  the  porch  composed  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  feeling  of  the  house, 
and  a  floor  plan  embracing  every  modern  com- 
fort besides  being  admira1)ly  arranged.  A  de- 
sign which  adds  to  the  practical  plan,  the  artist's 
touch. 

Many  modern  houses  which  are  comfortable 
enough  in  their  interior  arrangements,  appear  to 
have  had  little  intelligent  thought  giyen  to  an 
appropriate  and  well  proportioned  external  ef- 
fect. 

Some  one  has  said  "it  is  a  solemn  thing  to 
huild  the  outside  of  a  house ;"  and  truly  the  feel- 
ings of  our  neighbors  and  the  passers-by  are 
worthy  of  consideration,  even  if  architectural 
merit  makes  no  appeal  to  us. 

It  is  not  infrequently  the  case  that  modern 
homes  of  wealthy  people  are  modeled  upon  the 
typical    Elizabethan   mansion   set   with 

"Gables  and   dormer  windows   evervwhere 
And  stacks  of  chimneys  rising  in  the  air." 

The  great  hall  of  the  English  mansion  is  faith- 
fully reproduced  in  the  interior  even  to  the  carv- 

257 


.'^i 


i    J 


¥  A\ 


ing  of  llic  wainscoting  and  the  i)anclling  of  tlic 

ceiling. 

"Within,  unwonted  splendors  met  the  eye 
Panels  and  tioors  of  oak  and  tapestry." 

These  great  halls,  or  "chambers"  as  Shapespeare 
called  them —  arc  the  prototypes  of  our  modern 
notion  of  a  "living  or  reception  hall."  The  Eng- 
lish house  of  high  degree,  never  lacked  these 
great  halls  with  lofty  roofs  and  window^s  set 
high  in  the  wall.  The  picture  given  of  one  of 
these  "great  chambers"  shows  the  fascinating 
mullioned  windows,  walls  panelled  up  to  the  ceil- 
ing which  is  elaborately  treated  with  decorations 
in  relief.  It  shows,  too,  liow  these  old  halls  were 
converted  into  the  stately  libraries  of  Elizabethan 
and  Jacobean  times.  American  millionaires  have 
bL'en  quick  to  appreciate  the  stateliness  of  these 
ancient  halls  and  have  attempted  to  revive  the  old 
features  in  their  modern  homes.  They  have  re- 
produced the  great  mullioned  windows  wuth  their 
hundreds  of  small,  square  panes  and  stained  the 
wood  so  skillfully  th:it  it  cannot  be  distinguished 
from  the  genuine,  ancient  article. 

The  (1:1  Colonial  halls  extending  from  front 
to  rear  through  the  center  of  the  house,  w^ere 
reminiscences  of  these  old  English  halls  in  great 
houses.  They  frequentl}-  extended  up  through 
to  the  third  story,  the  lofty,  vaulted  effect  adding 
great  dignity  to  the  interior  though  it  must  be 
confessed,  at  the  expense  of  comfort.  Xo  greater 
contrast  to  the  "hat  rack  welcome"  of  the 
cramped  vestibule  which  does  duty  for  a  hall. 
can  be  imagined,  than  the  generous  hospitalitv 
expressed  in  those  wide  Southern  Colonial  halls. 

259 


\\'hile  no  one  would  attempt  to  reproduce 
mediasval  architecture,  or  t(i  imitate  it  even,  at 
the  present  time,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  an 
exact  copy  of  a  style  in  order  to  express  some 
of  its  beauties.  We  cannot  go  back  in  our  habits 
or  tastes  to  the  middle  ages — heaven  forbid.  But 
we  can  recognize  the  charm  of  much  of  its  archi- 
tecture, and  produce  something  which  shall  em- 
body these  fine  features  and  1)e  in  harmony  both 
v/ith  them  and  with  the  requirements  of  the 
twentieth  century.  These  old  buildings  afford 
valuable  study  objects  for  both  the  architect  and 
the  home-builder.  For  the  latter,  because  unless 
he  knows  something  of  their  beauties  and  of  the 
correctness  of  the  principles  underlying  the  work 
of  these  old  builders — it  would  be  of  little  use 
for  the  architect  to  present  styles  modeled  upon 
them.  He  would  be  dubbed  a  crank  and  full  of 
erratic  ideas  ;  therefore  he  returns  to  the  ordin- 
ary and  the  commonplace,  because  that  is  what 
his  clients  would  understand. 

Demand  regulates  supply,  and  if  the  people 
want  dreary  rows  of  houses,  one  just  like  an- 
other, they  will  get  them.  But  the  people  will 
not  want  them,  if  only  these  fields  of  study  so 
rich  in  architectural  suggestions  can  be  brought 
to  their  attention  and  open  their  eyes  to  the  pos- 
sibilities  of  beautiful  and   picturesque   form. 

To  be  sure  it  is  not  every  architect  who,  even 
if  he  were  desired,  would  be  capable  of  designing 
anything  so  picturesque  as  these  old  houses.  For 
to  do  this  he  nnist  have  the  artist  nature  as  well 
as  the  draughtsman's  pencil.  To  combine  in  a 
quaint  and  jileasing  manner  plain,  structural  lines 

261 


The    E.gyptian     Library 


and  simple  details,  to  i)rocluce  with  taste  and  dis- 
cretion work  which,  while  treatinsf  a  design  in 
a  picturesque  manner,  shall  avoid  fantastic  ec- 
centricities on  the  one  side  or  mere  conventional 
correctness  on  the  other — this  is  what  constitutes 
the  difference  between  the  architect  who  is  also 
an  artist  and  the  mere  maker  of  floor  plans. 
An  interesting-  example  of  the  adaptation  of 
historic  forms  to  modern  uses,  is  illustrated  in 
the  Egyptian  library,  to  which,  however,  the 
photograph     does     scant     justice.       Egyptian 

262 


symbols  and  motives  of  decoration  are  em- 
ployed b}"  the  architect  not  cjnly  in  the  detail 
finish  of  the  woodwork,  but  introduced  in  the 
furnishings.  Carved  Egyptian  heads  form  the 
supporting-  corbels  of  the  mantel,  and  the 
andirons  below  stand  like  the  solemn  pylot.s 
of  an  Egyptian  temple.  The  lotus  motif,  and 
the  wa^'y  lines  representing  water  appear  on 
the  wood  detail  and  the  furniture,  as  also  the 
reed  columns. 

Outspread  vulture">  wings,  the  Scarab?eus 
the  flabella,  and  other  emblems  appear  exten- 
sively in  the  stained  glass  and  frieze  and  are 
even  carried  into  the  eml)roidered  pillows  and 
draperies  in  which  care  has  been  taken  to  em- 
ploy the  brilliant  coloring  used  by  the  Egyp- 
tians, modified  to  suit  modern  taste.  The  deep 
royal  blue,  peculiar  to  their  colorists  is  em- 
ployed on  the  furniture  coverings,  while  the 
frames  and  the  wood  finish  are  enameled  dark 
green.  The  owners  of  this  artistic  room  have 
found  these  historic  motifs  and  the  significance 
of  the  symbols  used,  a  fascinating  study. 

The  trouble  is,  the  modern  architect  gets  little 
encouragement  and  less  time  to  make  a  study  of 
design.  His  client  is  always  in  a  hurry,  and 
after  taking  months  to  make  up  his  own  mind, 
when  at  last  he  does,  wants  his  plans  drawn 
over  night.  Then  he  wants  "to  get  bids"  and 
move  in  by  Christmas,  though  the  cellar  be  not 
excavated  till  just  before  snow  flies.  He  cares 
nnich  about  his  plumbing  and  his  "space"  but 
very  little  about  the  design.  The  architect  has 
very  little  chance  to  tliink  about  that,  for  he  must 

263 


see  first  and  foremost  to  the  mechanical  detail, 
and  lie  must  do  it  quick — the  practical  part  of 
the  business.  It  is  well — nay  it  is  vital — that 
the  architect  should  know  brick  and  shingle, 
sand  and  lumber;  should  thoroughly  understand 
heating  and  ventilating  systems  and  just  where 
to  run  the  network  of  pipes  in  a  modern  house 
to  ensure  the  health  and  comfort  of  its  occupants. 
He  must  know  whether  sixteen  inch  centers  or 
twenty  foot  studding  are  needed  in  a  frame  dwell- 
ing and  he  must  understand  and  take  into  ac- 
count in  his  plans  all  the  laws  and  variations  of 
heat  and  cold,  dryness  and  dampness,  radiation 
and  tenacity  and  their  effect  on  all  the  metals  and 
other  materials  that  enter  into  construction.  Yea, 
verily,  these  are  intricate  problems  and  the  archi- 
tect to  whom  we  confide  our  hopes  must  be 
equipped  for  their  solving. 

But  beside  all  this,  there  is  needed  a  cultivated 
and  trained  taste,  the  artistic  perception  that 
recognizes  beauty  of  form  wherever  found,  and 
the  ability — the  ingenuity  if  you  will — to  adapt 
suggestions  from  the  architecture  of  all  periods, 
to  modern  requirements. 

For  such  an  architect  and  for  such  clients,  a 
great  wealth  of  beauty  exists  in  the  architectural 
records  of  the  past.  For  them,  suggestions  are 
gleaned  from  the  faultless  regularity  and  repose 
of  a  Greek  temple  or  the  delicate  carving  and 
traceried  windows  of  a  mediaeval  cathedral ; 
from  the  quaint  gables  of  an  English  Eliza- 
bethan house  "with  dormers  and  with  oriels  lit," 
or  the  reeded  pillars  of  an  Egyptian  tomb. 


264 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 
Architecture  &  Urban  Planning  Library,  825-2747 . 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


irPHONiniElWlLS 


NOV  ?,8  i:-^-' 
DEC  0  A  1987 

DEC  0  9  1987 
6ECJ2  Aujeu 


PSD  2339  9/77 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELA 


UCLA-AUPL 

NA  200  K4  1905 


L  005  858  113  3 


;jr  <;nr''n^R';  nr^ii.;?,'   'jPR?r)Y  tAr-]|_iTY 


A    001  248  133    9 


w 


